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CIP faces rising construction costs; referendum projects may need gap funding
Summary
Board heard a capital improvement plan update showing major maintenance and school-construction projects under way and citing national construction-price inflation that could increase referendum project costs by roughly $200 million over prior estimates.
Chesterfield County Public Schools staff presented the FY2026 proposed capital improvement plan (CIP) on Jan. 23 and warned that national school-construction inflation has pushed planning estimates substantially higher than referendum-era assumptions.
Officials told the board that construction-cost indices since the start of the pandemic put new-school building inflation 30–35% above pre-pandemic baselines. Staff estimated that the referendum projects — originally planned at approximately $375 million in bond authorization plus other funding — could face a funding shortfall on the order of $200 million under current cost assumptions.
The CIP presentation reviewed projects underway and planned: Deep Creek, AM Davis and Falling Creek are under construction or near completion; Bensley Elementary and West Area Elementary are in progress; West Area High is a major upcoming project. Staff said the high-school bid was on the street with bids due in February and that the division will present bid results to the board before awarding contracts.
Major-maintenance historic funding has run roughly $30 million annually in recent years, and staff said they want to maintain that level. Staff identified HVAC, roofs and vestibule/security projects as typical major‑maintenance categories. The board discussed schools with obsolete systems and recent emergency repairs, and staff said both operating and major‑maintenance budgets can be used for HVAC work.
Leases are a significant element of the CIP discussion. Past bus-lease programs accelerated fleet replacement; the bus-lease cycle has expired and the division has been purchasing buses outright as funding allowed. Chromebook leasing is under consideration for a four-year cycle, with an anticipated ongoing lease cost about $8 million; the county has signaled potential one-time funding support to start a Chromebook lease in FY2025.
Board members asked for updated cost estimates for major projects and noted that redistricting choices affect future CIP needs (for example, trailer use and overcrowding). Staff said updated cost estimates and additional details will be provided as bids and vendor information become available. Staff reiterated that gap funding from county partners (for example, VPSA support in recent projects) has been part of prior solutions and that continued partnership will be critical if referenda-era assumptions remain under pressure from inflation.
No formal action was taken on the CIP at the Jan. 23 work session; staff will return with revised estimates and the high-school bid results for a February presentation.
