Charlottesville officials outline $100 million baseline to modernize aging school buildings

Charlottesville city and school officials on Aug. 4 told a joint City Council–School Board session that while the school system’s buildings are generally maintained, many are aging and face recurring, large-ticket needs — particularly HVAC, roofing, electrical and accessibility upgrades — and that a rough systemwide modernization “baseline” is about $100,000,000. City Manager Sam Sanders opened the session and said the presentations were intended to give council and the school board a common factual basis ahead of the council’s Aug. 15–16 retreat. "My job is always to remind you of choices that you have to make and the discipline that comes with spending money that we have," Sanders said. The presentations combined three threads: current building condition, enrollment and capacity projections, and the ability of existing buildings to meet modern instructional needs. James Friess, deputy city manager for operations, described the current practice of funding small, discrete…