ABSS Requests $88.1 Million from County, a 23% Budget Increase

The Alamance-Burlington School System asked Alamance County commissioners for $88.1 million in fiscal year 2026–27 funding, a request unveiled March 12 that would raise the district's county allocation by roughly $16.6 million, or more than 23 percent, over what commissioners approved last year.

The proposal is divided into two parts. The larger piece, a $62.8 million current expense request covering day-to-day operations, would represent an almost 10 percent increase over the $57.3 million commissioners allocated for current expenses in 2025–26. Messer, who presented those figures to the board, said most of the additional funding "is centered around compensation and student academic support." Among the specific line items, the request would increase the county-funded salary supplement for administrators, principals, assistant principals, and teachers by $925,149, bringing that supplement pool to $15.9 million.

The second piece is a $25.3 million capital funding request presented by Hook, the deputy superintendent of operations. Hook broke that figure into three components: $7 million in pay-go capital outlay for routine building maintenance, $13.9 million for major Capital Improvement Projects targeting big-ticket facility needs, and $4.4 million for technology expenses.

The request arrives against a backdrop of conflict over school funding. Last fiscal year, commissioners initially proposed allocating just $53.3 million to ABSS, prompting the school board to threaten mediation. That standoff ended in a late June 2025 settlement that raised the county's contribution to $71.5 million. The new $88.1 million request would exceed even that hard-won figure by more than $16 million.

Alamance County commissioners are expected to take up the request later this spring, though no specific hearing date has been announced.