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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Alexandria City School Board Chair Dr. Michelle Rief said Tuesday that the board is disappointed it does not expect additional funding for Alexandria City Public Schools in the city's fiscal year 2027 budget, and that the division is already working to identify solutions within its existing allocation.
The statement came in response to questions from The Alexandria Brief about why no school board members testified at Saturday's add/delete public hearing — the last opportunity for public comment before tonight's preliminary add/delete work session, which begins at 7 p.m. at Del Pepper Community Resource Center.
"The Alexandria City School Board has consistently communicated the needs of our school division to the City Council through both public updates and direct engagement," Rief said. "We recognize the City's broader fiscal constraints. At the same time, we are disappointed that no additional funding was included for Alexandria City Public Schools, despite the clearly identified needs within our system."
Rief added that the board is moving forward by identifying solutions within its existing budget allocation to preserve the quality of education students receive, while remaining committed to working collaboratively with the City Council toward a more sustainable long-term investment in schools.
The school board adopted a $408.2 million combined funds budget in February, requesting a $9.8 million increase in city funding. City Manager James Parajon's proposed budget includes $4.2 million of that increase, leaving a $5.6 million gap. The request comes as city departments were asked to identify 1% reductions in their budgets as part of the city manager's proposed spending plan. The school board identified $7.5 million in cuts before submitting its request, including the elimination of 13.8 positions and reductions in non-personnel spending.
Earlier this budget season, Rief warned the gap would force position cuts, larger class sizes, and difficulty retaining teachers in neighboring jurisdictions, and indicated the board may revisit its appropriation request in May once the city finalizes its budget. The school board has also warned that without additional funding, Alexandria's first-ever collective bargaining agreements with school employees could be jeopardized.
The absence of advocacy for additional school funding at Saturday's hearing was notable. The only school-related public testimony came from two speakers who called for structural reforms to the school board itself — specifically reducing its size and increasing member compensation to make elections more competitive. A petition supporting those changes had gathered more than 260 signatures as of Saturday morning. Neither speaker addressed the funding gap.
No council member submitted an add/delete proposal to directly address the shortfall. The primary remaining lever is the real estate tax rate — council set a one-cent ceiling in March, which would generate approximately $4.7 million — but council has not reached public consensus on whether to use it.
Tonight's preliminary add/delete work session begins at 7 p.m. Final budget adoption is April 29.
Ryan Belmore
