Falls Church City Public Schools

The Falls Church City School Board approved its Fiscal Year 2026 operating budget at its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. The approved 'Advertised Budget' totals $69,547,486 and requires a city appropriation of $55,525,284, which aligns with the guidance provided by the City Council.

For the seventh consecutive year, the school division has met the guidance provided by the City Council while continuing to address the needs of a growing student population and maintaining high-quality educational programming.

"This budget reflects our commitment to fiscal responsibility while ensuring we meet the needs of our growing population of students and staff," said School Board Chair Tate Gould.

The Board's approved budget includes several key elements for the coming fiscal year:

• Funding to make permanent several positions currently funded through temporary sources, including a math specialist, school counselor, and ESOL teacher

• Addition of 4.5 general education classroom teachers to accommodate enrollment growth

• The addition of one special education teacher and three paraprofessionals

• Funding for a full-time assistant director of athletics and student activities

• Continued funding of psychology services previously supported through pandemic funds

The Board also approved the FY2026 Food Service budget in the amount of $1,621,448 and the Community Services Fund budget of $2,666,200, which requires a city appropriation of $107,500.

As part of the approval process, the Board chose to place funding for a proposed IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) coordinator position into a staffing reserve. This decision will allow the administration flexibility to address potential enrollment increases or other staffing needs that may arise before the final budget adoption in May.

The budget now moves to the City Council for consideration. Superintendent Dr. Peter Noonan and Board Chair Tate Gould will present the school budget to the City Council on Monday, March 24, 2025. Following City Council action, the School Board will take final action on the budget in May.