[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6282232,"mediaKeyId","2597585-b499021afd05787010fc88d5730ea0e3","parentId",2597585,"title","King George schools ask for $2.81 million from county for FY26 budget; highlights raises, staffing and Virtual Virginia program","audioSeconds",723,"startMs",5489000,"endMs",4766000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2597585-b499021afd05787010fc88d5730ea0e3&start=5489&end=4766","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2597585-b499021afd05787010fc88d5730ea0e3/thumbnail_5489000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6282232/King-George-County/Virginia/King-George-schools-ask-for-281-million-from-county-for-FY26-budget-highlights-raises-staffing-and-Virtual-Virginia-program","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6282232-31326e66dfa2a9faaf6da7ee46e44a61/orig.mp4?Expires=1770864309&Signature=oui0GFOdQsPHHvKDg6dCJZhWTS7nWmoACaGdReoD7ahEBpQZ5z99WrcNZmwgUNSo0pBgeRXu483kVtN1IgGdCrQ58QZjKRVauGPW9CgIY~1dOU~8lKv7rRM2wXXc1UU9XAHr6EiKzFu3rGUCBFGI-V7OAEidNbFcEC2oyZ7FbHkNcGqCqHASwWhFf7uOXC~ozcXdhUYHT1jFZ~j3Xq9PT3eGxFFazam828xHU12PIXvS18HVVtrfDWne5IBTWtEN1~46SUYozMm~NVvNYQoTU4cbt7z2Hw383Ek7Q5oNwxBI549WQ8pJoe-Hufej3h51x9UjPKXZ7dCENvtRSNBFpQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","King George County, VA","date","2025-03-10T00:00:00Z","article","King George County Public Schools presented its needs‑based FY26 operating budget at a joint meeting with the Board of Supervisors and requested $2,812,034 in local funds, Superintendent Dr. Jesse Boyd said. That figure reflects changes in state budget projections and savings from lower‑than‑anticipated health‑insurance increases.

Dr. Boyd summarized the division’s priorities and numbers: a proposed 3% salary increase reflecting the governor/general assembly guidance (state funding will cover the SOQ portion only), steps to address mid‑career pay compression, funding to meet classroom needs tied to the Virginia Literacy Act and rising enrollment, and new positions for reading teachers, ESOL, paraprofessionals and a virtual‐instruction coordinator.

Key budget figures presented:
- Local request to the Board of Supervisors as presented: $2,812,034 (Dr. Boyd: “The local request, from the school board to the board of supervisors as it stands today is $2,812,034.”).
- Total “budget builder” increases (school side): about $1,500,000 overall; additional staff line items were shown at roughly $982,000 (total cost basis across state, federal and local funding).
- Pay compression adjustment: school staff estimated an initial need of approximately $436,000 to address step compression (targeting step 10 first).
- Health‑insurance renewal: presentation noted a projected annual increase that had moved from an earlier 20% estimate down toward about 12% in recent broker updates.

Virtual Virginia and outreach: the school division proposed launching a Virtual Virginia program. Dr. Boyd described the program as state‑approved and synchronous (students attend classes in real time). The presentation estimated the division’s tuition cost at about $2,000 per full‑time virtual student and noted the division would net roughly $5,000 per homeschool student who enrolls — producing a potential net revenue gain per homeschool student. Supervisors raised questions about demand, quality control and whether the division should pilot the program before staffing it at full cost. Dr. Boyd said the division would not hire a virtual director if enrollment did not materialize.

Operations and contracts: the school presentation highlighted rising utility and maintenance costs as major drivers. Electrical costs were noted to be trending up substantially (presentation slide: an increase in electrical expense of roughly $495,172 to a projected ~$1.7M total). The Honeywell energy/maintenance contract and its renewal were flagged for close review; staff noted the Honeywell contract includes proprietary automation and escalation clauses and that the contract renewal will be negotiated.

Questions and responses: supervisors sought clarification on stipend line items, counselor and social‑worker staffing, vacancy levels, and the mechanics of how state SOQ funding and the local match interact. The county administrator said he will include the school request in the county’s March budget presentation and asked the board of supervisors for guidance on the amount to include in the initial county budget (options requested by supervisors included presenting the full request, a partial allocation and a zero increase scenario to allow comparison).

Next steps and timeline: County staff said they will incorporate the school request into the county executive’s proposed budget for the March presentation and provide scenarios (full request, partial and no local funding) as requested by supervisors. School officials will track enrollment and program demand and said they will remove the proposed Virtual Virginia director if enrollment does not support the position. No formal appropriation was made at the joint session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","King George BOS and SB Joint Meeting 03/10/2025","oneSentenceSummary","King George County Public Schools asked the Board of Supervisors for $2,812,034 in local FY26 funding during a joint work session; the request covers salary adjustments, staffing for literacy and special programs, and start‑up costs for a Virtual Virginia program.","taxTitle","King George County, Virginia","taxId",31001,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6282237,"King George boards agree to feasibility studies for old courthouse, vocational center and shared storage",3132,408000,3540000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2597585-b499021afd05787010fc88d5730ea0e3&start=408&end=3540","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2597585-b499021afd05787010fc88d5730ea0e3/thumbnail_408000.jpg","/articles/6282237/King-George-County/Virginia/King-George-boards-agree-to-feasibility-studies-for-old-courthouse-vocational-center-and-shared-storage","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6282237-4aaae50009a88a7d3581afd9dc5329e0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770864309&Signature=eI-62szWpcf5ldAW5ZfOjuus0Sjaj8qbfk1kPEqpDEEUBq4y60Ls0V-MjaqYDkp9e3jrmVASyl6KZUmr2nEmRLbgH8Z7nnTYO5meCidrmNbWAxJqnABIlshRRcjq8Zxz1C5R3oqzJqWCFANOMmCjrabBTC9Rfr9RO89PB0oZuE9wUIjNNmwlxcl9XvAjWbvPDf5DMWHdjxiisIfDNiMaoO6tHB9ZS7CPimlIVi8UVBGYdefZq8qjmIbU51o7vIFBGD8f7S6YJXjlauc0JKrBT3EOkMVtlMMyI4ZIDm6CCRcRK14q5aV9Si5y3mK29d5pU-mUpgSY3UX-vAaHwSZoTQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","King George County officials and the school division agreed at a joint meeting to hire outside architects and consultants to study whether the county can repurpose the vacant old courthouse, renovate the county/school vocational (VOTEC) building, and develop a centralized storage site as a shared resource for county and school operations.

County Administrator Matthew Smolnick said, “we felt this was an important topic to to put in front of both boards,” and outlined several near-term needs, including an upcoming site plan behind the sheriff’s building, temporary uses for the old courthouse and a suite of facility requests coming through the capital improvements program (CIP). Dr. Jesse Boyd, speaking for the school board, said a shared, county–school vision would “help us focus our efforts” and make operations more efficient.

Why it matters: the county and school division face multiple facility pressures at once — a vacant courthouse building across from the administration hub, a passed school referendum for a new school, limited storage distributed across aging properties, and reported hazardous materials and structural concerns in older school buildings. Those pressures affect near‑term CIP decisions, the use of fund balance and the timetable for any future school construction.

What the boards discussed and decided: participants described three principal projects:
- Old courthouse: the building is described in discussion as roughly 21,000 square feet and currently vacant; speakers noted prior studies and differing estimates about repair scope and cost. School and supervisor members repeatedly urged an independent feasibility/structural/abatement study to resolve conflicting views on how much work would be required to adapt the courthouse for office use. Several supervisors said prior estimates for bringing the school board office up to acceptable condition totaled about $1.8 million; others said more extensive work (and higher cost) might be required. The boards agreed to commission a feasibility study that will include structural assessment, hazardous‑materials testing and a cost estimate for renovation or add‑on options.
- VOTEC (vocational) building: Dr. Boyd said the vocational building (constructed 1968; used intermittently since 2008) must be cleared for hazardous materials before reuse. A hazardous‑materials study was scheduled by staff to be completed on the 12th (date in transcript); Dr. Boyd said three architecture firms had been contacted (Moseley and RRMM among them) and that feasibility reports are expected. If abatement is required, the school side said the project would likely be phased.
- Shared storage: the school board has requested $1,500,000 in the CIP for a storage facility. Both county and school officials described an immediate need to move supplies now stored in multiple aging buildings (including the old middle school and Bowtech building) into a climate‑controlled, centralized facility to prevent losses from leaks, mold and unsuitable storage conditions.

Obstacles and differing views: supervisors and school officials voiced contrasting assessments about how much of the courthouse can be saved, how much repair is required and whether the county’s engineering staff can perform the work or whether outside architects are needed. Several supervisors argued existing roof and water problems have been reduced by recent drainage work and that needed repairs could be modest; others described collapsed ceiling tiles and longstanding deferred maintenance that could push costs much higher.

Next steps: the boards agreed to move forward with outside feasibility work. County staff said they would solicit proposals and expected turnaround times of roughly three to four months depending on firm schedules. Staff were directed to include: structural evaluation, hazardous‑materials testing results, realistic cost estimates for renovation and options for adding space to create the “central hub” both bodies described. Dr. Boyd said school program requirements (for example, power and layout needs for different vocational tracks) will be provided to architects to shape design options.

The meeting recorded no formal appropriation; rather, both boards authorized staff to proceed with feasibility procurement and to return findings for decision by the governing bodies.","At a joint work session, county and school officials agreed to commission outside feasibility work to evaluate repurposing the vacant old courthouse, renovating the VOTEC (vocational) building and creating a shared storage facility; the boards also signaled intent to vacate the current school board office pending those studies.","actionData","errors"]

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King George schools ask for $2.81 million from county for FY26 budget; highlights raises, staffing and Virtual Virginia program

King George boards agree to feasibility studies for old courthouse, vocational center and shared storage