Isle of Wight schools present $6.6 million request to supervisors; highlight $4M bus‑garage option, 11 new positions and health‑insurance pressures

School division leaders presented the Isle of Wight County Board of Supervisors with an overview of the school division’s FY2026 budget request and capital improvement priorities during a joint meeting, saying federal COVID-era funding has ended and the division is projecting revenue declines while asking supervisors to consider several large capital projects and new staff positions.

The presentation, delivered by school division staff, listed a total requested increase of about $6,600,000 and called out specific drivers including a projected $673,000 drop in revenue, a health‑insurance fund increase the presenters said is about $2,400,000, and a set of discretionary and staffing requests. The school division also said it received a $2,700,000 award under the governor’s lab‑school initiative that will be implemented next year.

The request matters because, as presenters reminded the meeting, state law (Code of Virginia § 22.1‑92) gives the division superintendent responsibility to submit an estimate of funds needed for the next fiscal year and the county board must appropriate funds before money becomes available. School staff said they had already approved a budget at their March 18 meeting and were making the presentation so supervisors could ask questions before appropriation decisions.

Most prominent among capital items was a proposed replacement or renovation of the transportation facility. Presenters described three options studied last year: a full new joint facility estimated at about $10,300,000 (no longer recommended), a $7,500,000 standalone bus garage, and a $4,000,000 phased option the school staff said would provide three heavy‑duty working stalls and allow future expansion. Transportation staff said much of the early cost in the $4,000,000…