ACPS Superintendent Proposes FY 2027 Combined Funds Budget
Focused on Collective Bargained Agreements, Staff Recruitment/Retention, Student Attendance, English Learner and Students with Disabilities Services and Academic Achievement
ALEXANDRIA, Va.— Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt proposed the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) Combined Funds (CF) Budget at tonight’s Alexandria City School Board meeting. The FY27 Combined Funds Budget directly aligns with the budget priorities approved by the School Board at the Oct. 9, 2025, meeting and includes funding to support ACPS’ first collectively bargained agreements with employee union groups, continued improvements in recruitment and retention, a reduction to non-personnel position division-wide, operations and safety enhancements, technology integration and security reinforcements and reductions in vacant positions to minimize additional positions.
Additionally, as ACPS enters the first year of implementing the 2030 Strategic Plan — Nurture. Educate. Inspire. — the proposed budget includes funding focused on translating vision into action. The Proposed FY27 CF Budget, includes the Operating Budget, School Nutrition Funds as well as Grants and Special Projects Fund, totaling $406.5 million. The ACPS Operating Budget of $374.5 million for the 2026-27 school year is an increase of 3.7% from the FY26 Operating Budget. The proposed budget also includes funding for required health benefit increases and recruitment and retention bonuses.
“As we continue implementing our new 2030 Strategic Plan— Nurture. Educate. Inspire, this budget ensures that we can continue moving forward on initiatives that directly benefit students and staff,” said ACPS Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt. “Our focus remains on our students and their learning so every student can thrive and reach their full potential.”
Additionally, the proposed budget also maintains school-based staffing positions to account for and accommodate redistricting. The budget also proposes an increase in funding for public carrier services and the repair and maintenance of ACPS facilities.
“The Proposed FY 2027 Combined-Funds Budget focuses on maintaining stability across our schools while making strategic investments aligned with our priorities,” said ACPS Chief Financial Officer Dominic Turner. “In a challenging fiscal environment, this budget prioritizes investments in instructional excellence, supporting our workforce and positioning ACPS to meet student needs now and in the future.”
The School Board will hold the first work session on the CF budget–including the operating budget as well as a Public hearing on Jan. 27, 2026. The second work session on the proposed budget will take place on Jan. 29, 2026 (if needed). ACPS alongside the Alexandria Parent Teacher Association Council (PTAC) will host a Budget Forum on Feb. 3, 2026. The School Board is expected to approve its budget on Feb. 19, 2026. The School Board will vote to approve the Final Adopted Combined Funds Budget on June 11, 2026.
The full budget timeline and a summary of this year’s budget process can be found on the ACPS FY27 Budget Web Page. The Jan. 22, 2026, School Board meeting, at which the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget was presented, will be available to view online.
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Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) serves more than 15,900 students who hail from more than 118 countries and speak 127 languages. ACPS has 18 schools, including two middle schools, two K-8 schools, one pre-K school and the internationally recognized Alexandria City High School. ACPS is committed to nurturing, educating and inspiring each student so they are prepared to thrive in college, career and community.