Appreciation and Concerns Raised about Superintendent's Budget for Next Year

Key Takeaways from Public Input on the FY 2027 FCPS Budget

The February 10, 2026 school board meeting opened the floor for public input, providing a valuable opportunity for community members to voice their concerns, suggestions, and hopes for the future of local education. This session revealed a wide range of opinions and priorities, reflecting the diverse needs of students, parents, teachers, and residents. Understanding these perspectives can help clarify challenges and opportunities facing the school district.

This blog summarizes the key points raised during the meeting, highlighting the main themes and specific examples shared by participants. Click here to view 4 Public Education's live coverage of public input with comments from participants.

Click on the photo to link to FCPS video of Public Input

Appreciation for Reinstatement of Special Education Chairs

Nearly half of the speakers voiced great appreciation for the reinstatement of special education department chairs at elementary schools across the county. These positions were cut in the FY 2025-26 budget to meet severe budget restrictions imposed by the incoming Trump Administration, Governor Youngkin, and the Fairfax Board of Supervisors. These cuts were so catastrophic for families whose children receive special education services in elementary school that over 180 families signed up to speak out against these cuts in 2025 in a special meeting with Superintendent Reid, and hundreds of staff and families signed up to speak out against these cuts at the Spring 2025 Board of Supervisors budget meetings.

Thus, there was heartfelt appreciation voiced by parents, staff, Union leaders, and leaders of the Special Education PTA (SEPTA) for the reinstatement of the Special Education Department Chairs who support staff, students, and families in the IEP/504 process, but who also set the tone, tenor, and quality of special education support at a school. Universally, whether speakers had children requiring special education services or not, they each agreed that student success relied on these critical roles early in their educational career. They were truly grateful to Dr. Reid, her staff, and the School Board for including them in the budget.

Michelle Cades, the current President of SEPTA, noted these positions are critically important right now when the federal government has decimated its office of civil rights, so it is critical that FCPS has strong educators and support staff for disabled students.

NOTE: If you have a student that requires or may require special education services, you should consider joining SEPTA, or at the very least join their Facebook. They are a group whose knowledge, skill, and connections have helped so many families in Fairfax County, including the author's own wonderfully twice exceptional child.

One of the most unique speeches in support of these positions came from a dad whose child does not (yet?) require special education supports; however, he used humor and a real life situation to show how a Special Education Department Chair came through in a pinch for a classroom missing a teacher. It's worth a listen to understand how to be an amazing ally in the fight for disability civil rights, but also to hear a masterful storyteller who could easily sell you the Brooklyn Bridge...and a robotics course for his daughter's school.

Concerns About Budget Priorities

A number of parents, staff, and citizens discussed concerns about budget priorities, including:

• Librarian Stipends: Two librarians expressing great concern about the redesignation by Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) of librarians as "other personnel" which demoted them from professional staff, despite certification and extensive teaching experience. This resulted in denial of stipends which matter to the librarians, despite being a small amount to FCPS.

• Adult and Community Education (ACE): Two members of the ACE advisory committee spoke to the need for FCPS to maintain the tuition at affordable rates, since it is the backbone of economic advancement for the Fairfax community and trains our neighbors to be certified for jobs the community needs. ACE is efficient, effective, and necessary. (Note: one of these advocates is a Board Member of 4PE)

• Moldy Classrooms versus Playground Construction: A parent and FCPS teacher focuses on issues with school playground construction priority, safety, and communication in contrast with the lack of focus on remediation of classrooms with mold. Both are safety issues for students.

• Equity Requires Transportation for Rezoned Students: A parent of a Marshall High School student who was rezoned emphasized that boundary changes place an inequitable burden on students and will mean only privileged students will be able to afford to remain in their former schools.

• Fewer Raises: The President of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance advocates for fewer raises because they are raising the property taxes.

• Reinstate Mental Health Professionals: Last year's budget crisis eliminated trusted adults from across the county and students are suffering as school psychologists are split between schools serving up to 5,000 students, which creates inconsistency for students, especially those in crisis. The speaker shared a personal story emphasizing the critical role these trusted adults can play in a student's success. She asked FCPS to ensure that there are mental health professionals placed back in each of these schools to support students. (Note: This speaker is a Board Member of 4PE)

Although these speakers had criticisms, each were polite and civil, which was a change from previous years.

Teachers Salaries and Collective Bargaining

Last year was the first year the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was negotiated with FCPS by the teacher's unions. Union leaders and members spoke up to thank the Superintendent, staff, and School Board for respecting the CBA both last and this year.

Emily VanDerhoff, President of FCFT, thanked Dr. Reid and the School Board for returning critical positions that had been cut last year and efforts to adjust class size. The budget is both needs based and rooted in reason. Others echo her concerns, including:

• The need to pay staff so they can live in our county, which is hard when some support staff are paid near the poverty level.

• There are differences in the collective bargaining agreements among different unions across the county, so please do not to pit Fairfax County and FCPS employees against each other.

• If budget cuts occur, protect specific areas: staff pay, class size reductions, and restoring special education department chairs. If there is change, please be sure to communicate early and clearly, because this was problematic last year and caused chaos and heartbreak for staff and their families.

Next Steps for the School Board

The public input session provided the school board with a wealth of information to guide future decisions. The board members acknowledged the diverse viewpoints and committed to reviewing feedback, engaging with stakeholders, and developing action plans. Community members were encouraged to stay involved and continue sharing their perspectives to help shape a strong, inclusive educational environment.

For more information about the budget, please see Dr. Reid's Budget Presentation below.