Superintendent Presents FY 2026 Proposed Budget
Hello FCPS Community,
During last night’s School Board meeting, I proposed a budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. This Proposed Budget helps anchor FCPS as our nation’s education destination by keeping the needs of students, families, and taxpayers top of mind. These needs include recognizing taxpayer fatigue, acknowledging chronic state underfunding, meeting the expectations of our families, and meeting the changing needs of today’s students.
This budget is fiscally responsible and invests in excellence — not just for FCPS, but for all of us in Fairfax County who want a strong community with successful young people, dedicated educators and support staff, and a thriving economy.
The FY 2026 Proposed Budget totals $4.0 billion. This is a net increase of $297.1 million, or 7.9%, over the FY 2025 Approved Budget. As part of this proposal, Dr. Reid is requesting an additional $268.3 million, a 10.4% increase from what was provided in the prior year’s transfer. This transfer request is only a 5.6% increase from last year’s request.
Maximizing Resources
FCPS continually looks for ways to make the most of our resources, whether we’re talking about our funding, our programs, or our facilities. But we need to make sure we’re saving smartly — we need to be efficient while still providing a world-class education for our students. That means saving while making sure that we’re still investing in our educators, our students, and the future of our community. We’re proud to be highly rated for our schools and for our businesses. We want to keep it that way and continue to grow.
Under this proposed budget, FCPS is maximizing its resources while focusing our attention on initiatives that align with the FCPS 2023-30 Strategic Plan. With cost savings in mind, no new initiatives will be sought this year. Our administrative staffing is lean — well below neighboring districts. We believe that most of our budget should be spent in the classroom. In fact, more than 85% of the budget is dedicated to instruction.
Competitive Compensation, Multiyear Initiatives, and Targeted Investments
FCPS ranks fifth among eight neighboring districts for master’s level new teacher salaries and seventh for midpoint and maximum teacher salaries. That is why the majority of the budget increase is set aside for a 7.0% salary increase for all staff. We must provide competitive compensation to attract and retain our outstanding educators, administrators, and other school-based and operational staff dedicated to the success of our students.
The budget includes funding to continue multiyear initiatives including inclusive preschool, certified athletic trainers at each of our high schools, family liaisons, and fine and performing arts stipends. Additionally, there are targeted investments for security updates including vestibules, security tools, and additional cameras.
Chronic Underfunding
FCPS, along with other Virginia school divisions, has been chronically and critically underfunded by the state for years. Virginia schools receive less funding per student than our neighboring states — an estimated $568.7 million in FCPS alone. That’s approximately $3,100 per student. This chronic underfunding makes FCPS reliant on county funding, which has a significant impact on taxpayers.
Despite this chronic underfunding, FCPS students continue to thrive, outperforming the state in key metrics. I encourage you to visit our Sharing Our Success webpage to learn more. These are not just FCPS’ successes — they represent the success of our entire community and the limitless potential of our community’s children.
Thank you for your continued support of Fairfax County Public Schools, and thank you to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for working alongside us to support our students, empower our educators, and secure the future of our community.
Last night’s budget presentation video and slides are available on our website. I encourage you to keep up with the budget process by watching our upcoming February 4 School Board work session or visiting FCPS’ Budget webpage.
Warmest regards,
Dr. Michelle C. Reid
Superintendent
Fairfax County Public Schools