February 11, 2026 Update:
Quick Facts
- The School Board unanimously approved the Fiscal Year 2027 budget at its meeting last night.
- The budget includes a 3% salary increase, additional instructional coaches, and outlines significant school facilities improvements, among other things.
- The budget will now be presented to the Board of Supervisors for consideration.
Full Message/Details
Dear Families, Faculty, and Staff,
We hope you are having a great week. We are writing to share an important update with you on the progress of next year’s budget.
At its meeting last night,
the School Board took an important step in the budget process and unanimously approved the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, which Dr. Lisa Pennycuff, Superintendent of Schools, presented last month for consideration. The budget places a strong emphasis on investing in our amazing team of faculty and staff while also further investing in instruction and the future of our school facilities, among other things.
Specifically, the proposed budget includes the following:
- 3% salary increase for all eligible employees effective July 1, 2026. Eligible employees are permanent employees hired by March 1, 2026.
- Funding to cover a significant portion of the increase to health insurance for Calendar Year 2026
- Two additional math coaches
- Two additional literacy coaches
- Two elementary special education senior teachers
- Continuation of middle and elementary school tutors for math and reading intervention
- Job family salary adjustments for occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech language pathologists, specific instructional leaders (i.e., assistant principals, curriculum specialists, senior teachers, etc.), and administrative support positions
- Addition of middle school cross country teams and related coaching stipends
- Continuation of The Hanover Center for Trades and Technology expansion
The School Board’s approved budget will be presented for consideration to the Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, February 18.
The School Board is scheduled to adopt a budget in May after the Board of Supervisors adopts its budget. You can find Dr. Pennycuff’s comprehensive letter to the School Board regarding the budget
on our website and the full budget
on BoardDocs.
Thank you for your continued commitment and support of excellence in education in our county.
Hanover County Public Schools
Original January 20, 2026 Message:
Quick Facts
- Dr. Lisa Pennycuff, Superintendent of Schools, presented the Fiscal Year 2027 proposed budget to the School Board tonight.
- The proposed budget includes a 3% salary increase for all eligible employees, job family salary adjustments, and outlines future improvements to our school facilities.
- More information can be found in Dr. Pennycuff’s
budget letter.
- The School Board will hold a public hearing next week before voting on the budget at its February meeting. More information on the next steps in the process is below.
Full Message/Details
Dear Families, Faculty, and Staff,
We hope your week is off to a great start. We are writing to inform you of the introduction of the Fiscal Year 2027 proposed budget.
At this evening’s School Board meeting, Dr. Lisa Pennycuff, Superintendent of Schools, presented the Fiscal Year 2027 proposed budget for the Board’s consideration. As Dr. Pennycuff shared, the proposed budget reflects our priorities of supporting our students and the dedicated professionals who serve them with excellence every day while balancing our collective fiscal responsibility.
Specifically, the proposed budget includes the following:
- 3% salary increase for all eligible employees effective July 1, 2026. Eligible employees are permanent employees hired by March 1, 2026.
- Funding to cover a significant portion of the increase to health insurance for Calendar Year 2026
- Two additional math coaches
- Two additional literacy coaches
- Two elementary special education senior teachers
- Continuation of middle and elementary school tutors for math and reading intervention
- Job family salary adjustments for occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech language pathologists, specific instructional leaders (i.e., assistant principals, curriculum specialists, senior teachers, etc.), and administrative support positions
- Addition of middle school cross country teams and related coaching stipends
- Continuation of The Hanover Center for Trades and Technology expansion
For a complete overview of the proposed budget, we recommend reviewing Dr. Pennycuff’s presentation, which will be available
on BoardDocs tomorrow. A recording of the presentation will also be available. In the meantime, you can find Dr. Pennycuff’s letter to the School Board regarding the proposed budget on
our website.
The School Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget on Tuesday, January 27 at 6 p.m. at the Hanover County Government Administration Building in the Board Room located at 7516 County Complex Road, Hanover, VA 23069. More details on the meeting will be shared later this week.
Pending the School Board’s review and approval of the proposed budget, Dr. Pennycuff will present it to the Board of Supervisors in February for further consideration on the School Board’s behalf. The School Board is scheduled to adopt a budget in May after the Board of Supervisors adopts its budget. More detailed information about the timeline is included at the end of the presentation.
As Dr. Pennycuff shared this evening, the proposed budget reflects a careful, fiscally responsible approach to meeting our division’s priorities. It balances sound financial stewardship with our unwavering commitment to students, staff, the schools that support teaching and learning, and our broader community.
We appreciate your continued support for the life-changing work taking place in our schools each day.
Thank you.
Hanover County Public Schools