Shenandoah County School Board votes to request $4.14 million of FY2024 surplus for capital projects

The Shenandoah County School Board voted 5-0 on May 27 to request $4,141,365 of the fiscal‑year 2024 surplus from the Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors to fund one‑time capital improvement projects.

The request, adopted as “option 6,” bundles multiple items the board identified as immediate priorities: three modular units at Sandy Hook Elementary School, improvements to the transportation facility, an access road at the Southern Campus (added later), carpet replacement and HVAC work at elementary schools, and security upgrades including new night locks. The motion passed on a roll call vote with five board members in favor.

Why it matters: The Board of Supervisors told school board leaders in a May 21 meeting that returning the full approximately $6.4 million surplus would put the county below its fund‑balance policy, which requires a 12.5% minimum with a preferred 15% target. As a result, supervisors indicated they would be willing to support roughly $3.9 million and possibly up to $4.1 million in one‑time capital projects; the school board’s request aligns with that ceiling and signals a short‑term investment in existing facilities while a joint…