Preliminary budget numbers for New Kent Schools focus on addressing district’s growth

By Robb Johnson | February 27, 2026 12:58 am

New Kent County’s School Board received its first look at preliminary figures for the FY2026-27 budget. And while no overall figure has been released, it’s evident that the focus on this year is trying to have staff to accommodate the additional growth of the school system.

Director of Finance Haynie Morgheim presented figures based on an Average Daily Membership (ADM) of 3,620 students. New Kent’s Local Composite Index (LCI) is .455, leading to the expectation that the school district will receive $1,736,692 more in state funding.

Morgheim is recommending $1.2 million be requested to assist with operations. The one-to-one technology initiative is pegged at $300,000, while $495,000 in additional funding is being requested for the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) to assist with funding maintenance and addressing infrastructure issues.

A cost-of-living increase is slated to $732,071, with an additional one percent pay bump for teachers ($236,393). The VRS rate is expected to result in savings of $678,350, and healthcare rate adjustments are anticipated to cost $844,262. In total, 84 percent of the general budget is expected to go towards salaries and benefits.

Other notable changes include adjustments to salary scales, an increase in tuition for regional programs, adjustments to contracted services, and increase cost for maintenance and custodial services.

More than $1.1 million in position requests is being recommended in the proposed budget for New Kent schools. Positions that are deemed priorities include two elementary school teachers, five teachers in residence, a school psychologist, a speech language pathologist, an English as a Second Language teacher, a high school assistant principal, a special education teacher, a physical education teacher, and stipends for several after school activities. More than $1.3 million in position requests were not recommended as part of this cycle.

The school’s proposed CIP totals approximately $4.55 million, excluding the construction of a new elementary school. Top projects listed include replacing the HVAC at New Kent High School ($1,057,248), new buses ($672,00), new playground equipment at New Kent Elementary School ($606,843), fan coil units at George Wakins Elementary School ($415,506), and upgrading practice fields at New Kent High School ($311,000).

The proposed budget for the school will be presented to New Kent’s Board of Supervisors on Mar. 9 before meeting with the board for a retreat, which is expected to take place on Mar. 13. A formal presentation on the budget is scheduled for Mar. 17.