The Alexandria City School Board gave the green light to a $392.3 million Combined Funds Budget for the 2026 fiscal year during its school board meeting on Thursday (June 12.
The CF budget focuses on “improvements in staff compensation and benefits, increased key school-based staff positions, operations and safety enhancements, technology integration and funding to support redistricting efforts”, according to a press release from Alexandria City Public Schools.
Dr. Michelle Rief, the School Board Chair, says the new budget reflects the community’s priorities and sets the stage for ongoing improvements in local schools.
“The Final FY26 budget is a reflection of the priorities of our entire community and lays the groundwork for continued progress in our schools,” said Rief. “We’re grateful to the City of Alexandria for their continued partnership and to the community for their thoughtful engagement throughout the process. Thank you for helping us shape a budget that supports our students.”
The Final CF Budget includes the Operating Budget, School Nutrition Fund, as well as Grants and Special Projects Fund, totaling $392.3 million. The ACPS Operating Budget of $361.1 million (excluding the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) transfer) for the 2025-26 school year is an increase of 3.9% from the FY25 Operating Fund Budget.
- A step increase for all eligible employees, health benefit increases, and recruitment and retention bonuses (for hard-to-fill positions).
- Funding for continued middle school athletic programming.
- An American Sign Language Teacher
- A 0.5 FTE advanced academic services teacher.
- An additional 2.6 FTE social workers.
- Funding to increase the ACPS retiree healthcare premium subsidy and the long-term substitute pay for ACPS Retirees.
Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt believes this budget will help prepare students for success in college, careers, and the community.
“Finalizing this budget marks the culmination of a year-long, collaborative effort rooted in our mission to nurture, educate and inspire each student for success,” said Kay-Wyatt. “I deeply appreciate the dedication of our staff, the engagement of our community and the partnership of the School Board in shaping a budget that reflects our values and priorities. With this approved budget, we are positioned to help each student prepare to thrive in college, career and community.”
The budget process wasn’t done in a vacuum. It involved community input through forums, public hearings, and work sessions over the past year.
Want to dive into the details? The full budget and a recording of the meeting are available on the ACPS FY26 Budget webpage.
