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Tazewell schools tell supervisors they will bid to renovate high‑school restrooms; district seeks access to sequestered reimbursements
Summary
Tazewell County Public Schools presented plans to use sequestered year‑end reimbursements for facility repairs, beginning with restrooms at its high schools; school leaders said they will return after formal bids to request funding approval.
Tazewell County Public Schools officials told the Board of Supervisors on April 8 that they plan to go to formal bid for a multi‑school restroom renovation project and will return to the board with firm estimates before work begins.
Dr. Stacy, the school division superintendent, said the school system found carryover grant reimbursements in a recent supplemental audit and understands the board’s decision to sequester those funds pending a public discussion of how they should be spent. The superintendent requested that the board allow the schools to advertise for bids for replacement of two male and two female main restrooms at each high school and return to the board with firm, bid‑based estimates before any appropriation is released.
Dr. Stacy told supervisors the earlier, informal rough estimate provided to county leaders covered only four restrooms and did not include asbestos‑abatement costs associated with older school buildings; the superintendent said official bids would include abatement and other site costs. That scope — two main boys’ and two main girls’ restrooms per high school — reflects similar construction across most county high‑school buildings, Dr. Stacy said, and will let the district pursue a coordinated bid and construction schedule. The work will likely be phased and could extend into the late summer or fall, depending on contractor availability.
Board members pressed the superintendent for additional long‑range facility needs, including a structural concern at Tazewell High School that an engineer told school officials may require a choice within 12–16 months between rebuilding or significant repairs (the superintendent said the engineer estimated costs “could be a million dollars or more,” but the exact figure will depend on additional study). Dr. Stacy also listed other possible projects: security cameras and doors where grant funding falls short, replacement of aging boilers and other HVAC work and targeted roof repairs.
Supervisors reiterated that the sequestered funds originated as reported reimbursements to the school division and were placed under the board’s control after the supplemental audit identified $19–20 million in reimbursements that had not been previously reflected in the county budget process. The board said it wants formal, public bid numbers and a phased plan before releasing restricted funds for capital projects so the public and the board can review priorities and costs.
Why it matters: The discussion highlights the county’s tension between localized, urgent capital needs at schools and the board’s duty to appropriate and monitor one‑time or sequestered funds transparently. School and county officials agreed to continue the dialogue; Dr. Stacy will return with formal bid figures and a more detailed timeline.
What’s next: The superintendent said the district will advertise bids promptly and return to the board with firm estimates in May or June. The board will consider specific appropriation requests in a public meeting before releasing sequestered funds.
