ALEXANDRIA, VA-At it’s Feb. 22 meeting, the Alexandria City School Board approved the Fiscal Year 2025 Combined Funds Budget by a vote of seven to two. The budget includes the Operating Budget, School Nutrition Funds, and the Grants and Special Projects Fund. It totals $384.4 million.
“The FY 2025 Combined Funds Budget underscores our commitment to students and staff,” said School Board Chair Dr. Michelle Rief. “This budget is a testament to our collective vision for growing a thriving educational community that supports staff and prepares our students for the future.”
The budget prioritizes staff compensation and increasing the number of staff throughout the ACPS system. For instance, it provides teachers with step increases for those eligible, a market rate adjustment of two percent, and higher wage rates for hourly and casual employees. Adressing other concerns, it provides funding for technology upgrades to mitigate cyber-security threats, as well as instructional needs. Within the budget, there is also funding to support the opening of the new Minnie Howard Campus in August and the creation of a middle school athletic program.
The Operating Budget alone is $279.6 million, an 8.1 percent increase from the previous budget. The School Board will request these funds from the City of Alexandria.
In a statement, Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt said:
I truly value the collaboration between the division and the Alexandria City School Board, and would like to thank them for their approval of the FY 2025 Combined Funds budget, I also want to express my appreciation for our dedicated Financial Services team for continuing to work to find innovative solutions to the complex budget challenges the division faces. Together we will continue to advocate and work to produce a budget that best supports our students and staff until it is fully adopted in the spring.
Kay-Wyatt initially presented this budget in a proposal to the School Board on Jan. 4.
Its members are expected to adopt the Final FY 2025 Combined Funds and the FY 2025-2034 Capital Improvement Plan budgets on June 6. The full timeline can be found HERE.
