An Arlington plan to hire hundreds more teachers and give staff a raise would require the Virginia school system to spend an additional $65 million in 2026.
That’s according to board documents presented during a work session this week.
The proposal comes months after a firm suggested the school system should hire more full-time employees to support special education students and English language learners.
It includes a 3% cost-of-living increase and the addition of 252 new jobs phased in over the next three fiscal years.
Early planning for the school system’s fiscal 2026 budget also includes funding for four additional weeks of parental leave.
ARL Now first reported the proposal.
Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Francisco Durán said the study was undertaken because the school system was not serving special education and English language learners “in the way that we need to through the funding of positions for schools to have what they need to do their master schedules.”
The plan would include adding literacy and math interventionists, English language teachers, special education teachers and counselors, psychologists and social workers, according to board documents.
Assistant Superintendent Andy Hawkins said to implement many of the outside firm’s recommendations, in addition to pay raises and parental leave updates, “We would, through either revenue enhancements or budget reductions in other areas of the budget, we would have to find or to be in structural balance, almost $65 million to be able to balance the budget in FY ’26.”
The school division estimates it would also require an additional $82.7 million in fiscal 2027 and $103 million in fiscal 2028.
APS Chief Operating Officer John Mayo said many of the roles that would be added under the plan “are actually in the area of special education that we’re still trying to find talent, which is not just an APS issue, it’s just an issue nationwide when it comes to hard-to-staff positions.”
Even with an abundance of funds, Mayo added it would be very difficult to find the number of full-time employees needed, especially in the areas the school system needs.
More information about the proposal is available online.
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