Fairfax County Public School teachers have more rights than they did a week ago after the school board unanimously approved the Fairfax Education Unions’ (FEU) first collective bargaining agreement in nearly 50 years on Thursday (Jan. 9).
The agreement promises better wages, hours, benefits and working conditions, but questions still remain about how much funding the Board of Supervisors will provide when it finalizes the county budget in May.
Under their new contract, teachers are slated to get a 7% pay raise starting July 1, 2025, followed by 3% raises in 2026 and 2027. The deal also includes guaranteed planning time, extra overtime pay for special education teachers, three days of bereavement leave and a committee to look into more affordable health care options.
“This contract is not just a document, it is a commitment to fairness, respect and the enduring value of collaboration,” School Board Chair Karl Frisch said prior to the contract’s ratification. “It reflects many hours of interest based negotiation, advocacy and determination from our educators, support staff, union leaders and the school division superintendent and bargaining team.”
The contract comes nearly five years after then-governor Ralph Northam signed a new law allowing local governments and school boards to negotiate collective bargaining agreements, which had been barred since the 1970s by state Supreme Court ruling.
The Fairfax County School Board began talking with 17 employee associations in spring 2021 and approved a resolution granting them collective bargaining rights in March 2023. In June 2024, FCPS employees overwhelmingly voted to elect the Fairfax Education Unions (FEU) — a partnership between the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers (FCFT) and the Fairfax Education Association (FEA) — to represent more than 27,000 teachers and staff.
The contract marks the first time since 1977 that Fairfax County public school teachers have had a collective bargaining agreement, according to FEA President Leslie Houston.
“I am absolutely thrilled that we it was approved 12 to zero,” Houston told FFXnow. “I am grateful to the school board members that bought in enough to get this started years ago … I’m really, really excited, and I’m happy for the 27,500 employees that we represent in the instructional and the operational unit.”
Administrative FCPS employees, including principals and supervisors, will be represented in contract negotiations separately by the Fairfax County Federation of Principals, Supervisors, and Administrators (FCFPSA), which was certified by the school board on Oct. 24, 2024.
While the contract promises a pay raise for all teachers, Frisch noted that funding hinges on the county government, which is facing a projected $292.7 million revenue gap — a shortfall driven by declining commercial property tax revenue and rising employee compensation costs to match the cost of living.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay acknowledged the tough budget season ahead but noted there’s still a long way to go before a spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year 2026 has to be adopted in May.
“Teacher pay is always a top priority for both the Board of Supervisors and the School Board, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both boards this year to fund our community’s priorities,” he told FFXnow.
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, the board’s lone Republican, says the county’s financial troubles are the result of uncontrolled spending under years of Democratic polices.
Most supervisors and school board members, however, blame the state, pointing to a study from the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission of Virginia that found FCPS has been underfunded by more than $500 million a year.
Last month, Gov. Glenn Youngkin unveiled amendments to the state’s biennial budget that would allocate $1 billion in new education funding, including $290 million for school construction, $550 million in direct aid, $6.8 million for school resource officers and $50 million to support underperforming schools.
However, it’s not clear how much of that aid would be directed to FCPS.
Houston and FCFT President David Walrod expressed sympathy for the county’s financial challenges and said they’re lobbying the state for more funding to support teacher pay raises.
Still, in a statement to FFXnow, McKay expressed frustration that county staff were excluded from negotiations when the FCPS and FEU contract was being finalized, even as he reaffirmed his support for collective bargaining rights:
“Our world class schools need the ability to attract and retain world class teachers, and collective bargaining is one of the most powerful recruitment and retention tools available. I am a supporter of public employees’ right to collectively bargain and am pleased that our teachers now have a ratified contract with Fairfax County Public Schools. It is important to note that the County was not a part of the negotiations for this contract and, like the contracts we have with Fairfax County Police Department and Fire and Rescue Department employees, the teachers’ contract is subject to available funding.”
According to McKay, county staff are currently reviewing the details of the agreement. Superintendent Michelle Reid will present her proposed budget on Jan. 23, followed by County Executive Bryan Hill’s advertised budget on Feb. 18.
“I will definitely be looking forward to seeing County Executive Hill’s proposed budget next month,” Walrod said. “I think the supervisors recognize the importance of fully funding our schools, but they want to see where the state ends up before making firm commitments.”
