Manassas Council Voices Support for Competitive Teacher Pay Amid Budget Constraints

Members of the Manassas City Council voiced support for efforts to keep teacher pay competitive with neighboring Prince William County Schools during a joint meeting with the city’s School Board on March 26, 2025—even as the city faces tighter fiscal limitations and a far smaller student population.

The meeting came one day after the School Board adopted its overall budget for the next fiscal year on March 25, which includes $60.9 million in funding for Manassas City Public Schools. While the budget already includes a 5.5% average pay raise for all school employees, School Board members said an additional $1.7 million would allow them to offer a 7% increase—matching the raise announced by Prince William County Schools.

The city council must approve the school division’s budget, as the schools do not have taxing authority.

Prince William County Schools serve more than 90,000 students and benefit from hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue from 44 operating data centers. Manassas serves approximately 7,700 students and has just a fraction of that revenue capacity.

“We don’t have that kind of revenue cushion, but we still know the value of investing in our educators,” said Councilman Tom Osina. “We need to be competitive not to be like Prince William, but to retain our best teachers.”

Budget Breakdown

Manassas City Public Schools’ adopted FY 2026 budget totals $184 million including:

• $151.4 million in operating funds
• $84.1 million from state aid
• $60.9 million from the city
• $4.3 million in federal funding
• $930,000 in debt service

Of the total, $5.2 million is dedicated to compensation increases, with an additional $1 million to help cover rising employee health insurance premiums. The division also added a longevity step increase for veteran staff members and reclassified Certified Nursing Assistants to better align with regional pay scales.

According to the school division, Manassas school employees have seen a cumulative salary increase of 28.59% over the past five years.

Unfunded Priorities

If additional funding becomes available later this spring, the School Board said its top priorities would include:

• A 1.5% raise to bring the total increase to 7%
• Continuation of free meals for all students under the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which is currently at risk of being cut
• Paid parental leave for staff
• Restoring $1 million in intervention services cut from the FY26 budget
• Adding more ESOL teachers and a social worker

The school system’s ESOL population has steadily grown, with 55% of students classified as English learners. Council members encouraged school officials to track and share student progress data to strengthen future funding requests.

Central Office Purchase and Alternative Education Pilot

School officials also discussed plans to use $12.75 million from the division’s fund balance to:

• Purchase 8700 Centreville Road, which currently houses the school division’s central office
• Launch a $2 million alternative education pilot program for students in grades 5–12 who face behavioral or attendance challenges
• The pilot program would provide small class sizes, counseling, social work services, and a more individualized learning environment, with the goal of reintegrating students into traditional schools. About 40 to 60 students are expected to participate.

While council members agreed to move forward with these proposals, they cautioned that sustaining the alternative education program in future years may be difficult without new revenue sources or additional state support.

School Meals and Federal Uncertainty

The division is also bracing for potential cuts to federal funding that supports free breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for all students. In February 2025 alone, Manassas schools served:

• 36,630 breakfasts
• 87,508 lunches
• 973 dinners
• 2,411 after-school snacks

Superintendent Dr. Kevin Newman said the division may need to begin the new school year without knowing whether federal reimbursements will continue.

Old Dean Building: Clear Path to Demolition

During the meeting, officials also addressed the future of the old Jenny Dean Elementary School building. School Board members expressed concern about whether they were required to propose a reuse plan under a prior Special Use Permit (SUP). City Council members clarified that there is no appetite for preserving the building and that the SUP requires its demolition within 18 months of the new school opening.

“This is not a fight. We’re not trying to save the building,” said School Board Chair Suzzane Seaberg. “But we don’t want the public to expect something we can’t deliver.”

City officials emphasized that any final decisions about the historic site, including the relocation of the historic cottage, will follow an archaeological survey and community input process.

The City Council is expected to finalize school funding decisions by May 12, pending final state revenue figures and unresolved federal budget issues.

Despite limited resources, city leaders say their priorities remain clear.

“We may not have the revenue Prince William does, but we believe in our students and in the educators who guide them. This budget reflects that,” said Mayor Michelle Davis Younger.