In February, the Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) School Board met to unveil and present the School Board Adopted Budget for the 2026 school year.
Overall, the LCPS budget saw a projected increase in state funding and a decrease in federal grant funding for the next year. Mr. Alex Bennett, a Dual Enrollment (DE) U.S. Government teacher, is Woodgrove’s Building Representative for the Loudoun Education Association (LEA). “For the budget, it’s not a huge impact. It does help LCPS, because they take that money into consideration when they give us raises. So they look at what the budget will be from the state, and if they see it raises that, they adjust our salary scale based on a percentage and if they’re going to contribute anything,” Bennett explained.
The increase in teacher salaries, initiated by the increase in state funding, was another one of the biggest changes presented in the budget. A 6.5% average pay increase for LCPS staff and personnel was added to the adopted budget. This aligns with LCPS’s ongoing commitment to accommodate teachers and staff and recognize them as important figures in educating and influencing students in Loudoun County. The School Board’s Adopted Budget Executive Summary states, “The One LCPS: 2027 Strategic Plan for Excellence identifies LCPS teachers, administrators, and staff as the most important factor in helping our students after their parents.” These ideas were leading priorities in the design of the new LCPS budget and the allocation of projected fund increases.
This prioritization of teacher needs by the LCPS School Board is also evident in other areas of school policies. A new grading policy for the upcoming school year passed in April. It included the removal of the controversial 50% grade floor—which previously prohibited granting students a quarterly grade of below 50% for the first three academic quarters—in Advanced Placement (AP) classes. Mrs. Katherine Corrado, who teaches AP U.S. History and DE U.S. History, feels strongly that these policies will better improve how teachers interact with students and course material. “I do think that there has been, since COVID, a real downturn in accountability for student behavior and student expectations have lowered drastically—and it is getting better. We are starting to see more and more of that, like the cellphone policy this year is a great example of providing enough accountability to allow me to do my job, while for a while it felt like there wasn’t,” Corrado shared.
Much of the policy was shaped by feedback from teachers who expressed frustration with relaxed grading scales and subsequent grade inflation, especially prevalent in advanced AP and DE classes, where students are expected to carry more academic responsibility. Alleviating the issues teachers are having with grading and managing students will likely aid in retaining teachers in LCPS schools, but there is still room for improvement in enacting similar policies. “I do think they could get a lot more creative in terms of teacher retention…I think there could be a lot more emphasis on professional learning when it comes to travel or conferences,” Corrado said.
By prioritizing teacher needs, LCPS—and School Boards across Virginia—can better retain educators and ensure experienced staff members return. Because school districts in the Northern Virginia region have better staff salaries and benefits, they are better able to staff their schools and administrative offices. “The attrition rate is generally higher in lower-income and school systems that don’t pay as well. So Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William, and Virginia Beach relatively have lower attrition versus counties that don’t pay as well,” Bennett shared. The focus moving forward is to maintain these staff benefits in order to continue high teacher retention rates.
Ultimately, the staff salary increase serves to benefit students above all. “I think that every dollar that we’re spending should be benefiting students…and when you invest in teachers…that all pours back into students,” Corrado expressed. By supporting teachers through additional compensation, LCPS is actively investing in student achievements and future student success.
Students are recognizing how investing in teacher benefits ends up supporting their futures as well. Junior Hailey Dunbar has had her own enriching experiences with teachers—most notably with her Research Chemistry teacher, Mrs. Linda Palmisano. “Having her as my teacher has made chemistry a lot easier for me, and Mrs. Palmisano always works with her students individually to make sure everyone fully understands what she’s teaching. She’s the reason I’ve had such a good year in chemistry and why I’ve actually been able to succeed in the subject,” Dunbar spoke. Without proper funding for teacher salaries and benefits, students will also be left in the dust. “Every teacher has had an impact on their students and they all deserve to be appreciated for it,” Dunbar noted. With a greater focus on teacher benefits this coming year, the LCPS School Board will hopefully encourage a standard for prioritizing excellence and achievement within Loudoun County schools.