Reston families waiting on school building upgrades moved a step closer to a new funding source Friday, when the Fairfax County School Board voted unanimously to ask the Board of Supervisors to put a 1% sales tax increase before voters.

The money would fund school renovation and construction across a district facing a $400 million deferred maintenance backlog and a renovation cycle that stretches 42 years, nearly double the county's 25-year policy target. But FCPS has not publicly identified which schools would be prioritized under new revenue, and the county's top elected official is already pushing back.

"This is relief from the relentless use of homeowner tax to fill the gap from the state to fund our public school facilities that benefit all Fairfax residents, whether they have children in schools or not," said Melanie Meren, the Hunter Mill District representative on the School Board, whose district includes Reston, South Lakes High School and Langston Hughes Middle School.

County chair pumps the brakes

The referendum is far from guaranteed. Jeff McKay, chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, said he would not support a referendum this year. McKay said the enabling authority was granted only weeks ago and has not been reviewed by the supervisors or vetted with the public.

"Now is not the right time," McKay said.

The vote came weeks after Virginia's General Assembly included a provision in its June 2026 budget deal allowing localities to hold referendums on a sales tax increase of up to 1%, with proceeds earmarked for schools.

What it means for Reston

The School Board adopted its FY 2027–31 Capital Improvement Program on Thursday, February 12, and staff were developing a new renovation queue to follow the 2008 list. South Lakes High School's place in that queue could not be confirmed from available public documents. Langston Hughes Middle School, also in Meren's district, completed a $42 million renovation in 2021, meaning the sales tax push would likely benefit other campuses still waiting.

McKay's opposition makes a 2026 referendum unlikely. The School Board's request now sits with the supervisors, who have not scheduled a discussion.