Voters across Virginia rejected a 1% sales tax for school construction in 32 of 47 localities on Tuesday, Nov. 3, leaving large districts like Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) still searching for ways to pay for aging buildings.

Fifteen localities approved the tax, according to the Virginia Mercury. The results are expected to help those communities chip away at Virginia's estimated $25 billion in school modernization needs. But the bill's own sponsor acknowledged the measure falls short.

"This isn't going to be able to build all the schools that need to be built," House Education Committee Chair Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, told the Virginia Mercury. "So there's a lot more that needs to be done … even at the state level to help struggling school divisions."

Fairfax County sat this one out

FCPS was not on the ballot. The Fairfax County School Board voted unanimously on July 8 to urge the Board of Supervisors to place a referendum before voters, citing a $400 million deferred maintenance backlog and a 42-year school renovation cycle, according to board meeting minutes. The supervisors did not move forward.

Some supervisors and regional leaders had expressed wariness about pursuing the tax, FFXnow reported in July. Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said at a July 2 Northern Virginia Transportation Commission meeting that the region needed more discussion. He noted that Fairfax County's last three referendums aimed at additional school and education funding all failed.

An unnamed Northern Virginia Democratic insider told FFXnow the sales tax is regressive. The insider said voters may not welcome rates rising from 6% to 7% on non-food purchases and up to 12% on prepared meals, depending on the jurisdiction.

Where the tax passed and failed

The Virginia General Assembly authorized the referendums in June as part of the state budget. State Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-Prince William, and Rasoul proposed the idea. Under Virginia's "Dillon's Rule" framework, localities cannot change sales taxes without General Assembly approval.

Among the 15 localities where voters said yes: Albemarle and Chesterfield counties and the cities of Charlottesville, Fairfax, Staunton, Waynesboro and Winchester, Cardinal News reported. Some margins were razor-thin. In Martinsville, the referendum passed by five votes. In Mathews County, it failed by 30.

The city of Fairfax, a separate jurisdiction from Fairfax County, was among those that approved the measure. Fairfax City operates its own school buildings in partnership with FCPS, which provides curriculum, staffing and transportation, according to FFXnow.

Nine localities had already gained authority to levy the tax under a 2020 law. Those communities, including Henry County, Danville and Pittsylvania County, have raised more than $119 million through the tax, Cardinal News reported.

What comes next

McPike said the Commission on School Construction and Modernization should focus on analyzing the referendum results, evaluating long-term funding structures and reviewing projections over time, according to the Virginia Mercury.

The commission and state lawmakers return to Richmond on Jan. 13, 2027, to discuss future legislation and budget amendments.