Budget

FY 2026 Budget Development

The FY 2026 Adopted Budget totals $844.6 million, an increase of $18.3 million, or 2.2 percent, compared with the FY 2025 Adopted budget.

Salary and benefits costs account for 79.8% of the total budget and 90.1% of the School Operating Fund.

School-based positions were 91.3% of the total School Operating Fund positions in FY 2025, according to Washington Area Boards of Education (WABE) data, an increase from 90.8% in FY 2024.

• FY 2026 School Board’s Adopted Budget
• FY 2026 School Board’s Adopted Budget Presentation
• FY 2026 Reporting Per Pupil Costs per SB Policy D-9.1

Enrollment Highlights

Enrollment is expected to increase 261 students from the projected September 2025 enrollment to the projected September 2026 enrollment for a total enrollment of 28,422.

Revenue Highlights

County revenue increases by $9.5 million in FY 2026. This results from the School’s share of increased local tax revenue.

Beginning balance, or carry-forward, eliminates the one year increase of $3.6 million and returns the beginning balance to $3.5 million. An additional $0.5 million of carry-forward is added from the Food and Nutrition Services fund balance.

Funding reserves decrease $4.5 million or 21.6%, due to the difference in the reserve funds included in the FY 2025 budget and the reserve funds included in the FY 2026 budget.

State revenue increases $12.8 million or 11.2%, primarily due to increased funding for compensation adjustments, increased sales tax revenue, and additional funds for English learners. Grants and Restricted Programs funding for Medicaid reimbursements also increases state revenue.

Federal revenue increases $1.1 million, due to an increase in Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funding and grants and restricted programs funding is expected. Additional Medicaid and Impact Aid funding is expected in the School Operating Fund.

Local revenue from fees, charges, and grants is expected to increase by $2.5 million or 11.0% for FY 2026 based on an increase in tuition rates and additional service days for the Extended Day program and increased student participation in the Food and Nutrition Services program..

Expenditure Highlights

This year the budget is presented according to Strategic Plan Goal.

Following is a summary of expenditures included in the adopted budget by priority.

Student Academic Growth and Success | APS will ensure each student achieves academic excellence through high-quality instruction and systems of support to eliminate opportunity and achievement gaps.

Funding of $8.6 million and 38.05 positions are included to support the Student Academic Growth and Success goal. This includes funding for:

• Salaries, benefits, materials and supplies related to enrollment growth.
• Phasing in two of the planning factor changes recommended by the FY 2024 Planning Factor Study.
• Continuing the consultant funding to support the development and implementation of a 5-year strategic plan for the Office of English Learners.
• Continuing funding for the dual immersion program including two additional English language development teachers for Escuela Key and Claremont as well as Spanish language arts resources.
• Ongoing studies to review inclusive practices in APS and the planning factor study outlined in the School Board’s priorities.
• Adding four additional technicians.
• Instructional resources, material and software including translation software, software and subscriptions, Outdoor Lab equipment and day-trip meals, and virtual courses and virtual tutoring services.
• Reductions include capping enrollment at Thomas Jefferson School of Science and Technology, reducing the number of exemplary projects, changing instructional technology coordinator contracts to 11 month, capping the number of AP tests covered by APS to three, and reviewing the Integration Station program to eventually incorporate PreK special education students into existing programs within the elementary schools.
• The School Board also directed that iPads are eliminated for Prek and K students and Grade 1 students will have classroom sets of ten. The savings from these reductions will be realized in FY 2027.

Student Well-Being | In partnership with families, staff, and students, APS will create inclusive, safe, and supportive learning environments that foster all students’ intellectual, physical, mental, social-emotional growth and well-being.

Funds of $1.4 million and 8.40 positions are included to support the Student Well-Being goal. This includes funding for:

• Six additional school safety coordinators for elementary schools and the three pools.
• Reclassifying one existing social worker and one existing school psychologist to 12 month contracts in order to assist with evaluations during the summer.
• Increasing the athletic trainer staffing at each comprehensive high school to 1.50 positions.

Student Centered Workforce | APS will support and invest in a culture that attracts and retains skilled, talented, and effective staff committed to student success and well-being.

The budget includes $25.2 million and 1.00 positions to meet the requirements of this goal. This funds:

• A step increase for eligible employees and a 2.00 percent cost of living adjustment (COLA) for all employees including hourly employees, stipends and professional standards.
• An additional six weeks of parental leave.
• A classification specialist in Human Resources and professional development opportunities based on the recent Human Resources audit.
• Increases to the substitutes account to match actual expenditures and to the National Board Certification stipends account.

Operational Excellence | APS will plan and implement efficient, effective, sustainable system-wide operations to support student, staff, and our community’s success.

In order to address this goal, funds of $6.2 million and 2.00 positions are included in the budget for:

• Reinstating funding for positions that were frozen for one year including a network analyst and a diversity, equity and inclusion teacher.
• A total of 2.00 positions reclassified or added after the FY 2025 budget was adopted.
• Contract support to assist in hiring staff for the immersion schools.
• Reclassifying bus drivers and bus attendants to 10 month contracts and 7 hours per day.
• Contractual obligations for financing, leases, utilities, insurance, waste and stormwater management.
• The replacement cycle of existing network infrastructure components and school buses.
• The furniture and technology needed for the renovations at the Arlington Career Center as adopted in the FY 2023-32 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).

In order to balance the budget, reductions totaling $21.9 million and 28.50 positions are included in the budget and align with the Operational Excellence goal. These reductions include:

• Baseline savings of $1.1 million in the Chief of Staff, Human Resources, School Safety and Emergency Management, Summer School and Superintendent’s offices.
• The Special Education directors, Special Education supervisor, PreK Program specialist, three Student Support coordinators, the Supervisor of Programs, Accounts and Grants Management (0.50) and the Executive Director of Academics (0.50) are moved to the Grants and Restricted Programs Fund and will be funded with grant funds saving $1.5 million and 8.00 FTE.
• In the Chief of Academic offices, 5.50 administrative assistants, an Instructional Support specialist, the coordinator for the Yes Program, a Library Media Services technician, and a Professional Learning specialist, are eliminated saving $1.1 million and 9.00 FTEs.
• In Facilities and Operations, the director of Plant Operations is eliminated providing a savings of $0.2 million and 1.00 FTE.
• The Information Services offices eliminates the assistant director of technology and an Enterprise Solutions systems analyst, saving $0.3 million and 2.00 FTEs.
• The Chief of School Support eliminates the director of Early Childhood and Elementary Education, as well as the director of Secondary Education, and 1.50 clerical positions, saving $0.4 million including 2.50 FTEs. An executive principal is added back to the budget.
• The Chief of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Student Support eliminates funding for the a coordinator in the Welcome Center and a data coordinator in Student Services saving $0.6 million and 2.00 FTEs.
• The Business and Management Services office eliminates a vacant financial analyst position saving $0.2 million.
• Human Resources eliminates the executive director of Human Resources position saving $0.3 million.
• The Chief Operating Office is eliminated saving $0.4 million and 2.00 positions (chief operating officer and the executive administrative specialist).
• Changes to the Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) contribution and requesting reimbursement from the OPEB trust saves $6.9 million.
• Reducing consulting contracts in central office and instructional apps/software provides a savings of $0.4 million.
• All central office extra days accounts are reduced by half saving $0.3 million.
• The Extended Day Program will become a self-supporting program and provide additional service days on some holidays and school breaks. In addition, the program will be charged an overhead fee. These changes are expected to save $3.0 million.
• Savings of $5.5 million are expected from the budget study recommendations to consolidate classrooms and sections at the schools.

Student, Family and Community Partnerships | APS will strengthen and develop partnerships built on trust with students, families, community members, organizations, and local government to support student learning.

The budget includes funding for 0.50 positions and a total savings of $0.02 million. This includes:

• A community coordinator at Carlin Springs.
• Eliminating the Public Relations Liaisons stipends.

Funding has also been provided for increased debt service based on the anticipated Spring 2025 bond sale.

Budget Questions and Responses

• Distributed March 21, 2025
• Distributed March 28, 2025
• Distributed April 4, 2025
• Distributed April 11, 2025
• Distributed April 25, 2025
• Distributed May 9, 2025
• Distributed May 13, 2025

March 13, 2024 – FY 2026 Joint Proposed Budget

• FY 2026 Joint Proposed Budget Presentation
• FY 2026 Joint Proposed Budget Document
  •  Correction to Cost Per Pupil
• FY 2026 Joint Proposed Budget Budget-at-a-Glance
• Budget Development: Background Documents
  1. July 2024 – March 2024 School Board Budget Questions and Responses
  2. July 2024 DMC Resource for Budget Retreat
  3. September 2024 School Board Requested Items for Internal Analysis
  4. October 2024 APS Reserves General Operating Principles
  5. November 2024 Internal Analysis of Potential Reductions
  6. January 2025 Baker Tilly [External Consultant] Report
  7. Community, Advisory, and Staff Feedback from Fall 2024:
     1. October 2024 Budget Advisory Council Feedback
     2. October 2024 ASA Budget Survey Responses
     3. October 2024 Community Groups Initial Budget Questions and Feedback
     4. November 2024 Superintendent’s Advisory Council for Immigrant and Refugee Student Concerns Feedback
     5. December 2024 Facilities Advisory Council Feedback

FY 2026 Budget Development Calendar (updated December 6, 2024)

APSBudgetProcess

FY 2026 School Board’s Adopted Budget Direction

The Budget Office is currently working on the Review phase of the budget process. Click for a larger image.