School Board signals support for Latin program, healthcare cost shift stays in budget
Board gives thumbs up/thumbs down on add/deletes; formal vote Thursday
The Alexandria School Board signaled support Tuesday for restoring a Latin teaching position that had been slated for elimination, responding to weeks of advocacy from students, parents, and teachers who packed budget meetings to defend the program.
But the board did not reach the supermajority needed to ask the city for additional funding to maintain current employee healthcare contribution levels, meaning the proposed 5% shift in premium costs to staff will remain in the budget.
The board will formally vote on the FY 2027 budget on Thursday.
Latin saved, Chinese unchanged
In a 5-4 thumbs up, the board indicated support for adding one itinerant Latin teacher to serve both George Washington and Francis C. Hammond middle schools. The position will be funded by eliminating one communications department position, also supported 5-4.
“My personal preference would be to maximize in-person time for students at both schools as much as possible,” said board member Ashley Simpson Baird, who proposed the add.
The decision came after weeks of public testimony and a formal letter from all three student representatives citing a petition with more than 120 signatures.
Enrollment data presented Tuesday showed Latin enrollment at the middle schools has actually grown—from 58 students in 2023-24 to 77 this year, a 33% increase. George Washington’s Latin program grew from 51 to 65 students. Hammond grew from 7 to 12.
The original budget proposal would have moved Latin instruction entirely online at the middle school level. The board’s decision restores in-person instruction through an itinerant model.
The Chinese program, however, will proceed as proposed in the superintendent’s budget. One teacher will cover both middle schools in a hybrid model. A proposal from board member Donna Kenley to add Chinese positions did not receive the required four co-sponsors for discussion.
Healthcare cost shift stays
Chair Michelle Rief proposed adding $2.3 million to maintain current healthcare contribution levels and provide longevity bonuses for staff at the top of the salary scale. The proposal received majority support (5-4) but failed to reach the six-vote supermajority required to exceed the superintendent’s budget request.
Under the proposed budget, ACPS will shift 5% of healthcare premium costs to employees—moving from an 80/20 employer/employee split to 75/25 for licensed staff, and from 90/10 to 85/15 for support staff.
The Education Association of Alexandria had opposed the shift at a January public hearing, with president Dawn Lucas saying the union’s position was “no change in healthcare premium split.”
Regional competition
Rief made an impassioned case for additional funding, noting that ACPS teacher pay has fallen sharply compared to neighboring divisions.
“Our starting salary for teachers with a master’s degree dropped from first position in FY25 to seventh position in FY26,” Rief said. “Many of our neighboring divisions provided significant pay increases this year. We were the only school division that did not provide a market rate adjustment.”
She noted that surrounding divisions are proposing pay increases of 5.5% to 7.5% for FY27.
Board member Ryan Reyna expressed concern about adding to the budget request.
“I’m just concerned that we may be kicking a can down the road and turn around and have to do this process all again in May,” Reyna said. “I would prefer that we understand that reality is coming for us and that we are going to try to do our best to address it on the front end.”
Budget context
The superintendent’s proposed budget requests a 3.5% increase in city funding—more than double the 1.5% guidance from City Manager Jim Parajon. The city manager will present his budget on Feb. 24.
Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt warned the board that difficult decisions lie ahead.
“We are going to have very hard discussions moving forward,” Kay-Wyatt said. “There were many other positions at the school level that never made it to this conversation... But we had to say no to something when you’ve got almost a 90% personnel budget.”
CFO Dominic Turner echoed the concern, noting that healthcare costs continue to rise and spring adjustments may be necessary.
“Healthcare is a bear right now,” Turner said.
Other decisions
The board unanimously supported a 5% increase in facility rental fees—the first increase in at least nine years.
The board also supported retaining two Afghan family liaison positions that were set to expire with grant funding, included through the superintendent’s adjustments.
A vacant administrative assistant position in the School Board office will be eliminated, supported 8-1.
What’s next
Thursday’s vote is not the final word. City Manager Jim Parajon will present his proposed budget on Feb. 24, and the City Council will hold a work session on the ACPS budget on March 4. Public hearings run through April, with city budget adoption set for April 29.
If the city does not fund the school board’s full 3.5% request, the board will return in May to make additional cuts—potentially revisiting the same programs.
“Whatever we decide this evening, we have to be comfortable with that vote to say that we are going to revisit this,” Kay-Wyatt said. “Whether it’s world language or whatever, we are going to have to make really hard decisions around reducing our expenditures.”
How to participate
The School Board will meet on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m. in the School Board Meeting Room at 1340 Braddock Place. The meeting will be broadcast on cable channel 71 and streamed via Zoom.
This story was updated at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 18, with additional context and charts.
Thank you for this coverage! Can you add who voted for and against keeping health care premiums stable for teachers?