Budget rises 1.9% while enrollment falls by 646 students

What happened

The School Board adopted an FY 2027 budget of $860.34 million on June 18, 2026, up $15.71 million or 1.9 percent on FY 2026, then amended it on July 30, 2026. The budget is built on a projected 27,776 students, 646 fewer than the year before, and works out at $26,548 per pupil. It cuts a net 29.30 positions in instruction, 28.40 of them attributed directly to the enrolment decline, uses $16.37 million of reserves, and absorbs a $1.38 million drop in federal money caused mainly by smaller Title I, Title IV and food and nutrition grants.

Why it matters to families

Fewer students means fewer state and county dollars, and Arlington is unusually exposed because county transfer supplies 76.2 percent of its revenue. The division is holding services steady this year by spending reserves and trimming positions as rolls shrink, which is a hard thing to repeat every year.

The evidence

The FY 2027 Budget at a Glance reports a total adopted budget of $860.34 million, projected enrolment of 27,776 against 28,422 the previous year, cost per pupil of $26,548, revenue increase of $15.71 million (1.9%), use of reserves totalling $16.37 million, a net reduction of 29.30 positions including 28.40 from declining enrolment, and a federal revenue decrease of $1.38 million 'primarily because of reductions in Title I, Title IV, and Food and Nutrition grants, partially offset by higher IDEA funding.'

The source