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Waynesboro superintendent outlines enrollment gains, budget and multi‑year plan to rebuild high school
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Jeff Castle and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Ryan Barber gave a status update to the Planning Commission on March 18, reporting rising enrollment, FY‑26 budget details and plans for a classroom wing and gym at Waynesboro High School that staff expect could be financed with a bond sale.
Dr. Jeff Castle, superintendent of Waynesboro City Schools, told the Planning Commission on March 18 that the division’s enrollment is rising and the system is preparing facilities and budget plans to match that growth. "We report official enrollment on September 30 and March 31," Castle said, and the division currently serves about 3,000 students across seven buildings.
Castle said the school division’s total operating budget submitted for FY‑26 is just over $60,000,000 and was approved by the school board; city council had not yet acted on it. He outlined the revenue mix: "The state does provide over half of our funding at 55%," he said, with local funds roughly 38%, federal about 5% and other locally generated revenue near 1%.
Why it matters: Castle said the division is labor‑intensive — personnel and benefits make up the bulk of spending — and rising compensation pressures affect the ability to pay for other operating needs. He also described a capital program that used nearly $20 million in on‑hand cash and federal COVID‑era and state grant funding over recent years to replace HVAC systems, windows and other major work at multiple elementary and middle school buildings.
Among the division’s priorities, Castle highlighted literacy instruction aligned with the Virginia Literacy Act. "The General Assembly passed last year a law called the Virginia Literacy Act that defines for us curriculum and teaching strategies," he said, noting the division used associated one‑time funds for materials and professional development.
Castle and Dr. Ryan Barber, assistant superintendent, described facility projects anchored by a proposed new classroom wing and a full‑sized gym at Waynesboro High School. Castle said the city has appropriated $1 million to begin architectural and engineering work and that the district plans for a roughly $60 million bond sale to fund construction. He described a design and permitting schedule that would aim for a spring 2026 bond sale, with construction staged over about three years so the division can use summer months to minimize disruption.
On capacity, Castle said preschool and the high school were the closest to capacity and noted the new wing would increase the high school’s capacity. He characterized the projected increase as "a little more than a hundred students," and said the division had not yet finalized an exact capacity calculation pending schematic design.
Other details discussed included services and programs (21 regular bus routes and 10 van routes, a regional Valley Academy alternative program, an upcoming recovery high school), student needs (more than 400 English‑language learners across roughly 14 languages and roughly 400 students served under individualized education plans) and career and technical education partnerships that provide welding, machine shop and EMT training.
Castle answered commissioners’ questions about procurement, construction phasing and teacher recruitment; he said Waynesboro’s pay scales are competitive and the division actively recruits from nearby localities and through career‑switcher programs.
The presentation did not require action by the Planning Commission; it was offered as an informational update.
