Operating Budget

Budget preparation begins in the fall. In October, NNPS departments are asked to consider their needs thoroughly and submit their budget requests to the Budget Office by mid-November.

In January, the Budget Office begins the discussion of the development of the budget. While keeping the real bottom line in the forefront (the education of NNPS students), the office receives regular updates on state and local funding and discusses various measures to reduce spending.

In January, each department meets with the Budget Office staff to review their budget requests and discuss ways to reduce spending. Once all department budgets are reviewed, the Budget Office compiles all of the funding requests to develop the Superintendent's budget. This budget becomes the Superintendent's Recommended Budget and is presented to the School Board during its meeting in late February.

In developing the budget, the Superintendent and his staff approach the work with one goal in mind: continuing our commitment to the education of our students by advancing our benchmarks for our schools, while maintaining the financial stability of the organization.

Newport News Public Schools receives operating budget revenues from three primary sources – State aid for public education, funds transferred from the City of Newport News and federal impact aid. NNPS also receives a small amount of revenue from non- resident tuition, fees and receipts from athletic activities.

Employee wages and salaries are based on the pay plan approved by the School Board. District-wide pay increases are considered during the budget development process each year.

Salary Increase/One-Time Payment History

• 2021-2022 school year: All full-time employees received a 3% increase and funding was included to continue addressing compression in teacher salary scales.

• 2020-2021 school year: Funding was included to continue addressing salary compression among teachers and support staff, and funding for a 1% increase was included pending a state revenue update.

• 2019-2020 school year: A pay scale adjustment for teachers resulted in a salary increase from 2.1% to 3.7% for teachers. To remain competitive, the bus driver job classification increased one pay grade from 20 to 21 or an average increase of 3.5%. All other employees received a 2% salary increase.

• 2018-2019 school year: All employees received a 4% salary increase.

• 2017-2018 school year: A pay scale adjustment for teachers resulted in a salary increase ranging from 2.5% to 3.9% for teachers. All other employees received a 2% salary increase.

• 2016-2017 school year: The second year of a pay scale adjustment for teachers resulted in a salary increase from 3.7% to 5.3% for teachers, and the hourly starting pay rate for bus drivers increased to $13.86 or drivers received a 5% raise, whichever was greater. Researched showed that NNPS bus drivers had the lowest starting pay among neighboring school divisions. All other employees received a salary increase of 3%.

• 2015-2016 school year: All employees received a salary increase of 2% in addition to a salary scale adjustment for teachers.

• 2014-2015 school year: All employees received a salary increase of 4.5%. Employees in VRS and employees in the city retirement plan contribute an additional 3% to complete the transfer of the employee share and receive a 1.5% salary increase. NNPS employees hired after July 1, 2010 are already contributing 5% to VRS; those employees would receive a 4.5% salary increase.

• 2013-2014 school year: The approved budget included a 3.5% pay increase for NNPS employees in the Virginia Retirement System pension plan (employees contribute an additional 1% to the plan) and a 4.5% increase in pay for employees in the City Retirement plan (employees contribute 2% to the pension plan).

• 2012-2013 school year: All staff received a 1.5 percent pay increase (Virginia Retirement System eligible employees pay 1 percent to VRS).

• 2011-2012 school year: All staff received a 1 percent pay increase and a 2 percent one-time payment.

• 2010-2011 school year: All staff received a one-time net payment of $500; Employee salaries remained the same.

• 2009-2010 school year: No salary increase; salaries remained the same.

• 2008-2009 school year: All staff received an average 3.5 percent pay increase.

• 2007-2008 school year: Teachers received an average 5 percent pay increase and other staff received an average 3 percent pay increase.