News

ACPS staff won’t get 1% market rate adjustment due to budget shortfall

By James Cullum
George Mason Elementary School Principal Christopher Finan with students on the first day of school, August 21, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Facing a $3.25 million budget shortfall, Alexandria City Public Schools is planning on saving a good chunk of it by not giving staff a 1% market rate adjustment.

According to a budget memo, the school board will review the following at a work session tonight (May 15). In the memo, ACPS staff laid out the following budget adjustments before the Board approves the final FY 2026 Combined Funds (Operating, Grants & Special Projects, and School Nutrition Services) Budget:

  • $2.7 million elimination of the 1% market rate adjustment for eligible staff
  • $580,000 elimination of 4.6 full-time new student support team positions, including 2.6 full-time social workers and 2 full-time psychologists
  • $500,000 elimination of 4 full-time new English Learner positions
  • $500,000 elimination of increases to substitute pay rates
  • $500,000 reduction in technology services hardware/infrastructure funding
  • $250,000 reduction in additional transportation funding for public carriers
  • $240,000 elimination of 4 vacant custodian positions
  • $230,000 reduction via elimination of two new human resources positions, including Title IX labor relations coordinators
  • $140,000 elimination of new career and technical education contracted staff
  • $110,000 elimination of 1 full-time ACHS Core teacher position
  • $80,000 reduction of 10% funding from travel/education
  • $60,000 elimination of a part-time advanced academic services position
  • $40,000 reduction in human resources funding for advertising
  • $40,000 reduction of 10% funding for Central Office instructional supplies
  • $32,000 elimination of an increase to the ACPS retiree subsidy
  •  $30,000 reduction of 10% from dues/associations

Last month, the City Council adopted its FY 2026 General Fund Operating Budget, including a $282.4 million appropriation to ACPS, an increase of $9.2 million over the previous year. However, the budget was $5.8 million less than the school board’s approved budget.

Still, all eligible ACPS staff are still budgeted to receive a step increase. The school system is also getting an extra $3.2 million in revenue from the General Assembly and governor based on increased enrollment projections, while having to account for an additional $2.7 million in increased healthcare costs.

The School Board will adopt the final budget on June 12.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.