Northampton Schools present FY 2026 budget, request $1 million increase from County amid rising costs

At Tuesday night’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Northampton County Public Schools presented its proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget, seeking an additional $1.05 million in local funding to close a projected deficit. The request would raise the county’s contribution from $12.8 million to $13.9 million, an 8.2% increase over the previous year.

The proposed $27.8 million operating fund budget includes increased compensation for teachers and staff, adjustments for inflation and insurance, and investments in student services and facilities. Key expenditures include a 1% average pay raise for teachers, which will be coupled with a proposed 3% raise in Governor Youngkin’s budget, a step and scale adjustment totaling an additional 1% raise to raise starting teacher pay to $52,000, and an $82,800 increase in health insurance contributions. A similar decompression process is underway for classified and administrative staff, with a phased approach planned over the next two to three years.

Despite modest increases in state funding—totaling $311,606—the district is facing financial pressure from a higher Local Composite Index (LCI), which has been painful to Northampton with its large amount of waterfront property. The LCI increased by 4.6% for the 2025-26 biennium. The school division also anticipates a drop in average daily membership (ADM), resulting in a $193,539 reduction in state support based on a projected student count of 1,275.

“We have seen increased enrollment at Occohannock Elementary,” said Dr. Lisa Martin. “But that may be offset by lower enrollment at other schools, so we are trying to be conservative.”

NCPS plans to continue using reserve funds and capital improvement transfers to cover one-time costs, including a $270,280 appropriation from the fund balance and $140,054 in capital funding for facility improvements, professional development, and technology upgrades. Still, the budget gap remains over $1 million.

More than $700,000 in lower-priority requests remain unfunded. These include classroom furniture, technology, instructional aides, and contract services, indicating the school division’s struggle to meet all needs amid limited resources.

Dr. Martin also noted the system is still struggling with attendance. While there has been improvement in the lower schools and middle school, the upper school continues to face challenges.

The Board of Supervisors will now review the request as part of the broader county budget process. If approved, the proposed budget would bring NCPS’s total local funding to over $14.3 million and ensure continuation of services without cuts or layoffs, as no reductions in staff are planned.