Lancaster County supervisors on July 31 approved a water‑and‑sewer agreement with the Town of Kilmarnock that will connect the county’s new high school to the town water system and commit county funds to upgrades the town needs to accept school sewage.

The agreement requires the county to construct a pump station for the new high school; the town will accept ownership and operation of that pump station after construction. The county also agreed to contribute $800,000 toward upgrades to the Wiggins pump station and the Baywater gravity sewer force main, payable in four installments between February 2026 and August 2027. The board approved the agreement and authorized the county administrator to execute it, contingent on the town’s parallel approval.

The action matters because the school project is approaching major construction and financing milestones. County staff told supervisors the County will close on a $10 million Virginia Resources Authority borrowing on Aug. 5 for non‑school capital items and will begin the borrowing process for $15 million in school bonds through the Virginia Public School Authority. The School Board must pass a resolution asking the Board of Supervisors to issue the general obligation school bonds; the Board will hold a public hearing on the bond issuance at an upcoming meeting to meet VPSA deadlines.

County attorney/county staff described transaction details at the meeting and said the town will also charge a connection fee of roughly $2,764 for the school connection. The county will purchase a temporary pump (about $170,000) and pay for a meter (about $676.46), payments described in the agreement.

Supervisors voted to approve the agreement after a staff summary and a board motion. The vote was recorded as passed. The town council of Kilmarnock was expected to consider the same agreement at its meeting on Wednesday.

On construction, county staff gave a photo‑based progress update on the new high school: exterior sheathing, framing of the administration area and work to get the building “dried in.” Staff said weather had slowed work earlier in the summer but that the project was advancing toward being enclosed. The presentation included drone images of the site, roof membrane installation, masonry work and placement of footers for stands relocated from the current high school.

Board members asked for additional scheduling details and were told some room dimensions (for example, the music room) were “not specified” in the presentation and that staff would follow up with exact sizes. The county administrator and school staff also described coordination steps required before placing the building, including concrete pad work and utility arrangements.

The board did not set new spending beyond the contract terms before it; the water‑and‑sewer agreement and financing steps approved at the meeting are administrative commitments necessary for the school to proceed.

Looking ahead, supervisors were told to expect the county to publish a public hearing on school bond issuance in August or September to meet VPSA deadlines.