By HEATHER MICHON
EDITOR
The Fluvanna County School Board moved a step closer Monday night to approving a proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget that would increase the local funding request by $530,727 — a 2.48% bump over the current year — while investing heavily in employee compensation, student supports, and long-discussed staffing needs.
Superintendent Dr. Peter Gretz described the proposal as a “needs-based budget,” focused not simply on maintaining operations but on advancing the division’s strategic goals.
“This is not what it takes to survive,” Gretz told the board. “This is what we need in order to continue to move the division forward.”
Compensation takes
center stage
The largest portion of the proposed increase would go toward employee pay and benefits.
The budget calls for a 3% salary increase across all scales and pay bands. It also proposes that the division absorb a projected 9% increase in health insurance premiums rather than passing those costs on to employees.
Gretz presented side-by-side pay scenarios showing that without absorbing the insurance increase, some employees’ take-home pay would actually decrease, even with a 3% raise.
Total investment in compensation and benefits is projected at $1.79 million.
Several board members signaled strong support for that approach.
“I would support the schools absorbing the insurance for the employees,” said Charles Rittenhouse (Cunningham). “We’ll make a cut somewhere else.”
The proposal also includes a series of staffing additions and contract adjustments, many of which have been discussed in prior years but not funded.
Gretz acknowledged that some requests were scaled back to part-time roles to remain fiscally conservative.
Still, he emphasized that the division’s maintenance department remains lean compared to peer divisions and that growing caseloads in areas such as speech-language services have required costly outside contracting.
Cafeteria deficit addressed
One of the more substantial line items in the operating budget is a proposed $300,000 placeholder to address ongoing cafeteria losses.
Despite participating in the federal Community Eligibility Provision program, which provides free meals in certain schools, the division has seen its nutrition program operate at a deficit, driven in part by rising food costs and reimbursement rates that do not cover the full cost of meals.
Board members said the division has historically written checks at the end of the year to cover meal debt, and budgeting for that expense transparently is more responsible than absorbing it after the fact.
“If you’re routinely writing a big check and you don’t have it in your budget line, you’re doing yourself a disservice,” said James Kelley (Palmyra).
Offsets and state funding
The proposed spending increases are partially offset by higher projected state revenue and a reduction in the employer contribution rate to the Virginia Retirement System.
In total, the budget includes $4.44 million in new investments, offset by approximately $3.9 million in savings and additional state funds, leaving the $530,727 net increase in local funding.
Only one community member spoke during the public comment period, urging the board not to under-ask out of caution.
“Please ask for what you actually need,” said Georgianna Joslin. “Pass a budget that reflects what is truly needed, not what feels safest to ask for. Our kids are worth it.”
Board reaction largely
supportive
Board members praised the budget comprehensiveness and the level of detail provided by staff.
One member described the proposal as a “robust encapsulation of needs,” while another noted that it represents the largest annual increase requested since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The board is scheduled to vote on the budget Feb. 18 before presenting it to the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 25.
While the discussion on Monday centered largely on refining priorities — including whether to revisit funding for student attendance support or activities staffing — no member signaled opposition to the core proposal.
The next phase of the process, however, will shift the conversation from internal alignment to negotiations with county supervisors, who ultimately determine the local funding allocation.
