Fairfax County School Board members faced the embarrassment earlier this year of having to reduce salary increases previously promised to staff under a landmark labor contract.
Moving forward, school board representatives said at a work session on June 17 that they need to drastically change how Fairfax County Public Schools’ needs and commitments are communicated throughout the budget process.
“When I think about collective bargaining, I don’t think it was a failure, I think it was a success,” said Melanie Meren, who represents the Hunter Mill District on the school board. “The failure was in how it was communicated and the expectation of the School Board and [Board of Supervisors] for it to go a certain way.”
The Board of Supervisors criticized Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) leaders for agreeing to salary increases in collective bargaining contracts without consulting county government leaders or taking into account the county’s broader economic concerns.
In turn, the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, one of two unions representing teachers and other FCPS employees, blasted the Board of Supervisors for its “failure” to provide the full funds requested by Superintendent Michelle Reid, noting that the board had opted to use revenue from a new meals tax to reduce the real estate tax rate instead of devoting it to schools or other needs.
A recurring theme of the discussion was the need for the School Board and the Board of Supervisors to get on the same page earlier in the budget process.
For the fiscal year 2026 budget, which will take effect on July 1, County Executive Bryan Hill jumpstarted the process by sharing his forecast for the coming year last November. Reid then presented a proposed budget for FCPS in January, requesting an additional $248 million mostly to cover the negotiated pay raises.
The Board of Supervisors ultimately approved a budget in May that increased the county’s allocation to schools by $119 million, falling short of what Reid said FCPS needed to cover the salary increases and other needs.
“We can’t control how [the supervisors] communicate amongst each other, but what if we, after key meetings or decisions, send over a package or an email?” Meren suggested.
The general idea, Meren said, is to make sure the Board of Supervisors is aware throughout the process of what was being discussed at the School Board, and vice versa, so there are fewer surprises when it comes to budget season.
Braddock District Representative Rachna Sizemore Heizer said details sent to the Board of Supervisors should include a breakdown of FCPS’ needs and explanations of the associated costs.
Beyond just budgetary communications, school board members said they should do more to bring supervisors into local schools and see what they’re getting for their investment.
“It’s important for us to take advantage of the time from August to November to invite our colleagues on the Board of Supervisors and at the state level to come and see our schools,” Marcia St. John-Cunning, the Franconia District representative, said. “I really think that if they see it, they will get it. Sometimes people are so far removed from what’s going on in the trenches that they don’t get it.”
