Education News

Proposed tax hikes for school construction meet mixed results across Virginia

VPM

Published November 10, 2026 at 9:07 AM EST

The blue counties represent localities where a sales tax referendum was on the ballot.

Earlier this year, Virginia’s General Assembly passed a budgetthat allowed Virginia’s localities to put tax referendums on the ballot.

Voters in 47 localities across the commonwealth had an optional sales tax referendum to help fund school capital projects, including new construction and renovations.

In last week’s election, 15 of 47 locations voted for the referendum, while 32 rejected it. The majority of urban and rural areas voted against the tax, while most small cities and suburban localities passed the measure.

Richmond City

In Richmond, voters approved the 1% sales tax, creating a new direct funding stream dedicated to school construction and modernization costs.

City officials have touted this tax hike — which excludes food and personal hygiene — as a “generational, life-changing opportunity” for students.

‘I’m so so grateful to the voters of Richmond who stepped up big time for our kiddos,” Richmond Public Schools’ Superintendent Jason Kamras told VPM News last week. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and it’s going to make a profound difference for our students here at RPS.”

RPS has been dealing with a number of long-standing infrastructure issues impacting learning and working conditions. Most recentlymoldimpacted the start of the school year for some students.

“In part, that is related to the very difficult history we have here in Richmond related to race,” Kamras said. “We know black schools were built to lower education standards, and after white flight in the time of desegregation, there was disinvestment in our schools, so all of that has piled up, and as a result, we are really in a deep hole when it comes to our facilities.”

In total, the district is facing $680 million in maintenance needs, which the district calculates would take them 272 years to address based on annual funding projections.

In an effort to appeal to voters — and contingent on the measure passing — Mayor Danny Avula proposed lowering the city’s 7.5% meals tax by 1% —and the local real estate tax from $1.20 to $1.19 per $100 of assessed value.

According to the Virginia Department of Elections’ voting results, more than 67% of Richmonders voted to authorize a dedicated 1% local sales tax for school construction.

Richmond voters like Brianna Brezial and her partner, Kerry Goodman, said they both support the sales tax increase to ensure the city’s schools have the resources and facilities they need to support future generations.

“If we can at least do anything to contribute to help with the future of our kids, that makes the most sense to me,” Goodman said.

Molly Covert has a son in second grade at Barack Obama Elementary School. The school closed for two weeks at the start of the school year because of mold levels leading to unsafe conditions – which she said highlights the need for more funding to address the problems. She voted for the sales tax increase.

“We’re so impressed with the overall level of care and attention to detail that you get from the staff, and then learning about what they’re having to work around is really outrageous,” Covert said. “They deserve the world, and it is not being provided for them. And our kids are suffering for it.”

But others, like Elizabeth Christensen, didn’t support the sales tax increase. She said even though she agrees the city’s school system needs to update a lot of its facilities, she doesn’t think residents should have to be the ones to pay more.

“I’m very unhappy with how they’ve handled a lot of the budgeting issues in Virginia,” she said. “I think maybe they should look at defunding the police force and putting that towards things that are actually going to prevent crime, like making sure people have water.”

Myrish Spell also voted against the sales tax hike. She said she wishes they could get the money to fix schools from someplace else other than consumers.

“The consumer is the person who always suffers the most,” she said.

Avula reassured Richmonders that he plans to make due on his promises.

“I will introduce legislation in partnership with City Council leadership to increase the sales tax rate by 1% and reduce the meals tax rate from 7.5% to 6.5%,” Avula said in a Nov. 5 press release.

Avula added that he will propose a budget in March based on a real estate tax rate of $1.19 per $100 of assessed value.

It is estimated that Richmond’s new taxwill generate approximately $47 million every year starting in fiscal year 2028 (July 1, 2027–June 30, 2028) to accelerate building schools. Over time, that figure is expected to grow and finance as much as $850 million of school construction by 2034.

Kamras said the district is committed to using the money efficiently and transparently.

“This is really a trust that the voters of Richmond have placed in us and our responsibilities to show that we are worthy of that trust, and I believe we are, and I’m looking forward to showing it,” Kamras said.

A timeline for when the tax will go into effect is pending.

Chesterfield County

After Chesterfield’s governmentcampaigned for monthsto put through a 1% sales tax hike to shore up school infrastructure, the county’s voters approved the increase, albeit by a margin of less than 1%.

According to the wording of the referendum, the tax increase, approved by 50.47% of voters, can only be used for the construction or renovation of county public schools. It brings the sales tax in the county from 6% to 7%, and it is expected to generate between $65 million and $70 million annually. Groceries and personal hygiene products are exempt from the sales tax hike, and at least a quarter of that money is expected to come from tourists, according to the county.

Syncere Tann was one of the voters who supported the tax hike. “I’m willing to pay a little bit more if it’s gonna let my daughter live a better life,” Tann said.

But others, like Jim Antonakos, voted against it. “Certainly, I want to support kids in schools,” he said. “But I think there’s other ways of achieving that.”

The referendum vote doesn’t mean the tax automatically goes into effect; it simply authorizes the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors to adopt a separate levying ordinance allowing for the increase. Because the vote was within one percentage point, it is possible for opponents of the tax to demand a recount. They’d need to gather 50 signatures and would have to pay for the recount if the “yes” side is still victorious afterward.

Groceries and personal hygiene products are exempt from the sales tax hike, and at least a quarter of that money is expected to come from tourists, according to the county.

There aresix capital projectsthe county has identified as needing attention – improvements to Thomas Dale High School, an improved gym at Bird High School, a new Midlothian Middle School, a new Matoaca Middle School, a new elementary school in the Dale District and a new Old Hundred Elementary School.

Additionally, the board has agreed to consider two tax reductions – a drop of 2 cents-per-$100 of assessed value for the real estate tax (it currently sits at 89 cents-per-$100), and 10 cents-per-$100 per assessed value for the car tax (it currently sits at $3.25-per-$100).

The tax hike would expire on July 22, 2046.

Albemarle County

Voters approved the 1% sales tax increase, which will bump the county’s sales tax from 5.3% to 6.3%.

The tax would not be used to pay salaries or school operating costs. Division officials estimate that the tax could bring in around $20–$25 million in revenue a year for school capital funding. The tax would expire on June 30, 2046.

School capital projects are shaped not only by the superintendent and school board, but by the Albemarle County Public Schools Long-Range Planning Advisory Committee, which is a 12-member group that reviews various factors including building capacity data and enrollment projects, then provides recommendations based on the data.

With the funding, new schools could be built to relieve crowding or replace aging, older facilities. Existing buildings with rising maintenance costs could also be renovated and modernized. Within the ACPS system, themedian age of buildingsis 52 years.

The division has a list of proposed capital needs estimated over $500 million for various projects.

Charlottesville City

Voters approved the 1% sales tax to helpfund school construction and improvements.

Officials from Charlottesville City Schools say an estimated $12 million in annual revenue would be generated for school capital projects.

Projects that could be supported by the tax include upgrading to Charlottesville High School classrooms for the first time since 1974 and equipping Jackson-Via and Greenbrier elementary schools with a cafeteria. Jackson-Via would also get a kitchen, and a secure front entrance vestibule could be built for Greenbrier.

Another priority area for the division includes the Charlottesville Early Learning Center, where most funding has already been secured, but sales tax revenue could help get the project finished sooner.

Hampton Roads

Voters in Hampton Roads jurisdictions largely rejected a sales tax designed to fund school construction and renovation projects.

The 1% sales tax referendum passed in Middlesex County, but failed in Isle of Wight, Mathews and York counties and the cities of Newport News, Norfolk and Portsmouth.

The state estimates Middlesex could generate about $1.5 million annually.