With one fiery dissent, Fairfax County School Board members on June 12 approved a one-time bonus of up to $1,000 for many public school workers.
The $31.4 million cost of the bonuses comes from a state contribution of $19.7 million, to be matched by $11.7 million in local funds.
Budget amendments adopted by the Virginia General Assembly earlier this year include a one-time bonus payment for Standards of Quality instructional and support positions. The adopted state budget includes $19.7 million for the state’s share of Fairfax’s one-time bonus payment.
Full-time and part-time staff on the Fairfax County Public Schools payroll, as of June 1, will receive the bonus. Temporary workers, including substitute teachers, were not eligible.
“Hopefully this will provide a little bit to our hard-working employees,” Braddock District School Board member Rachna Sizemore Heizer said.
The dissent came from Mount Vernon District School Board member Mateo Dunne.
“I can’t say enough how much I oppose this motion,” he said.
Dunne complained that his colleagues on the school board had earlier rejected his proposed amendments to the FCPS budget that would’ve devoted $7.2 million to additional security personnel at middle and high schools.
While he supports educators and staff being fairly compensated, Dunne said, “I’m going to focus on safety and security, because that’s got to come first.”
“I can’t even begin to fathom how, morally, you can justify this motion [for bonuses] compared to my motions,” Dunne said. “I find that reprehensible. I find that unacceptable. If we have money for this, we have money for that.”
FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid said that the state funding for bonuses can only be accessed if localities provide an equal amount of money.
“The dollars we’re utilizing here would go back to the state if we don’t match it,” she said.
The prospect of giving up the state funding was unpalatable to a number of board members.
“I don’t want to return $20 million to Richmond,” said at-large board member Ilryong Moon.
School Board Chair Karl Frisch, who represents Providence District, said he appreciated the state funding for staff bonuses, but noted that like much of the personnel funding coming from Richmond, there were strings attached.
“We have to contribute a significant amount of money to access the [state] money,” he said.
In the end, Dunne found himself on the losing end of an 11-1 vote.
A number of board members said the bonus would atone, in part, for their inability to fully fund 7% raises that had been promised to some staff under a collective bargaining contract approved earlier this year.
The Board of Supervisors provided $2.7 billion to FCPS for fiscal year 2026, an increase from last year’s transfer but far short of what Reid said would be needed to implement the promised pay raise. The school board ultimately adopted a budget on May 22 that included 5% and 6% raises, depending on an employee’s classification.
The $1,000 bonuses will go to full-time employees; part-time workers will receive a prorated share based on their work hours.
Employees paid on a biweekly basis will receive the funds in paychecks issued June 27, while those on a monthly pay schedule will receive theirs on June 30.
