Henrico Schools’ proposed budget would add more security officers to open campus schools, more ESL teachers

Henrico Schools Superintendent Amy Cashwell recommended a $914 million budget for 2025-2026 to the Henrico School Board – a $33 million increase from last year’s adopted budget.

The proposed budget, which Cashwell presented Jan. 23, would add extra school security officers to middle and high schools with open campuses, which are partially-outdoor campuses that are not fully enclosed, as well as more English language learner teachers and more school counselors. HCPS would also designate Harold Macon Ratcliffe Elementary and Brookland Middle as “Opportunity Schools,” allowing them to receive extra staff and resources to help with vacancies.

Cashwell said HCPS has taken their usual “conservative fiscal approach” with the budget, including placing some funds in reserves, while still prioritizing initiatives the school board has emphasized. 

While employee raises are not considered until later this spring, school board members said they would aim for the “highest raise possible” for all staff members. Last year, HCPS approved a $881 million budget that included a 4.8% raise for all staff and a 7.2% raise for bus drivers and licensed staff.

More security at open campus schools

Under the proposed budget, HCPS would add seven additional SSOs spread across the five middle and high schools with open campuses, as well as three new school security supervisors divisionwide. Cashwell said the division would also consider adding more SSOs to elementary schools with open campuses.

Students and parents have raised concerns about open campus-style schools after a student stabbed their classmate on the outdoor campus of Henrico High this past December. Along with Henrico High, Brookland Middle, Tuckahoe Middle, Fairfield Middle, and Varina High all have open campuses.

More ESL teachers and school counselors

Cashwell’s proposed budget would add 15 more English Learner teacher positions, accommodating a large increase in the division’s multilingual student population over the past several years.

The budget would also add an additional full-time school counselor to the ESL Welcome Center at J.R. Tucker High School and establish permanent funding for the two new “Newcomer Programs” at Douglas S. Freeman High and Hermitage High, which serve a specific subset of English Learners who have had limited or interrupted formal education.

However, Brookland District representative Kristi Kinsella said that even 15 new teachers may not be enough to serve the growing number of ESL students in the county. With about 6,020 ESL students, the 15 additional teachers would give Henrico a ratio of 1 teacher per 49 English Learners – much higher than other school divisions that have 1 teacher per 25 ESL students, Kinsella said.

Along with more staff for ESL students, Kinsella said that parents have often advocated for more supports for exceptional education students.

“English language learner supports and special education supports were two of the things that I’ve heard the most about in this past year,” she said.

The budget would also add five more school counselors divisionwide as a part of HCPS’ “Henrico CARES” plan, which aims to add five school-based mental health staff to the division every year until 2029.

Two new ‘Opportunity Schools’

Both Ratcliffe Elementary and Brookland Middle would be added to the list of 10 schools designated as “Opportunity Schools” – schools that have high rates of vacancies and provisionally-licensed staff. Both schools would receive three additional staff members through the program and teachers currently at the schools would receive a $3,300 annual bonus for the next three years.

The Opportunity Schools stipend increases every year alongside annual divisionwide salary increases, but Fairfield District representative Ryan Young said the board should consider doubling the current stipend to help fill vacancies and retain teachers at those schools.

“Even with the Opportunity Schools [initiative], we still find that the Fairfield District and the Varina District still have a lack of teachers. We still see vacancies there,” he said. “I just think if our intent is to reward the teachers that are currently teaching there and incentivize talent to come to our schools…I would love to see that stipend increased.”

The Academy at Virginia Randolph campus would also receive an additional 52 staff members under the proposed budget to add new programs and expand current programs, such as the Early Childhood Autism Program which would be expanded to middle and high school students.

Local funds to cover cuts in federal funds

With federal COVID relief funding having expired last year, HCPS has now shifted local funding to ensure additional staff positions, new programs, and stipend increases that were previously covered by federal grants remain in place, said HCPS’ Chief Financial Officer John Wack.

HCPS’ Title I funds – federal aid to economically-disadvantaged students – are also set to decrease this year, Wack said, prompting the division to use $1 million in local funds to make sure services remain the same. 

“We are always holding back in reserves knowing that federal funds are considered annually and that amount can decrease and we have seen decreases over time,” said Cashwell.

However, HCPS may see an extra $46 million in state revenue this year through Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposed state budget, Wack said, although the budget will not be approved until later this spring. 

Other initiatives in the proposed HCPS budget include:

• staff recognition funding for each school;

• local funding to cover increases in employee healthcare costs, so staff pay no cost or at most $10-40 each month;

• local funding to keep Summer Academy stipends at $40-41 an hour.

The school board will hold a public hearing on the recommended budget on Feb. 13, before voting on the proposal Feb. 27. 

Liana Hardy is the Citizen’s Report for America Corps member and education reporter. Her position is dependent upon reader support; make a tax-deductible contribution to the Citizen through RFA here.