WJCC Schools trims budget request following joint meeting with local leadership

WILLIAMSBURG – The Williamsburg James City County school division has scaled back the amount of funding it is requesting from localities for its 2026 fiscal year budget. 

The adjustment was made following a joint meeting during which James City County officials expressed concerns about the size of the original request. 

The division is now asking for $11.5 million, down from an initial amount of $13.9 million.

The original proposed $214 million budget included nearly $2 million in additional funding for English language instructors, special education staff and security personnel. It also covered a 3% increase in salaries for staff and an increase in bus driver pay.

At the joint meeting last week, Acting Superintendent Daniel Keever told James City County and City of Williamsburg leaders that the funds are needed because of a significant increase in students requiring English language assistance and special education services.

Since the 2021/2022 school year, the division’s special education population has grown by more than 9%, while the English language learner population has jumped by more than 40%, Keever said. Meanwhile, the number of instructional staff has only grown by 2%.

The reduced budget request comes amid uncertainties surrounding federal funding, including the recent signing of an executive order to begin eliminating the Department of Education. 

During a presentation describing the details of the request, Supervisor Ruth Larson suggested the school’s ask was too high. The budget, she said, did not account for an impending potential loss of millions of dollars in federal funding.

Keever said the state has not yet provided guidance to the localities as far as what to expect regarding federal funding losses. A total of 41 full-time positions in the division are directly supported by federal funds.

“If there were to be zero federal funding, we would need to find a way to accommodate that or decide that we’re not able to support said positions,” Keever said.

Larson said it would be difficult for the localities to increase their funding by the requested amount because more funds may be necessary a few months down the road.

“This budget ask is big,” Larson said. “I understand it, but of course, we’re concerned that in the middle of the year, you’re going to come to us and say, ‘We’ve taken a huge hit, again in special ed, and instead of $18 million, we’re going to need $10 million more.'”

Keever said the school does not expect to lose any federal funding until next year.

Federal funds for fiscal year 2026 have already been allocated. However, the funds will be supplied through reimbursements, so the division does not yet have the money in hand.

Jim Icenhour, the chair of Board of Supervisors, questioned what the total impact would be on the school’s budget if the federal funding stopped and the state did not make up for the loss. According to Keever, $5 million in federal funds is at stake.

WJCC’s reduced, $11.4 million request includes many of the same figures as the original one. But the division agreed to hire five fewer bus drivers than originally intended. They were also able to trim spending by implementing a new Anthem health insurance plan for employees, which would save about $1.5 million. 

The division’s Chief Financial Officer Rene Ewing said that the budget request could drop by nearly $2 million more if Governor Youngkin signs off on a proposed bill that would increase the amount of funding allocated to schools in the upcoming fiscal year.

The board will vote on the budget on March 25. The budget will be presented to Williamsburg and James City County the following week on April 1.