Schools cite safety-audit findings, deferred maintenance and seek more CIP support; boosters reported fundraising for CHS track lights

Charlottesville school leaders flagged a list of security and deferred-maintenance needs at a Feb. 10 joint work session and asked the city for a sustained increase in school capital funding and clearer agreements on which city services are the schools’ responsibility.

Dr. Gurley said many school buildings are old and that modernization and safety work must be prioritized. “Some of our buildings are 50 years old and I think we have a couple that are approaching their 100 year mark,” he said, urging continued discussion about how to fund modernization and what level of investment is needed.

Why it matters: The division presented results of a recent safety audit and a separate condition-assessment process that identified prioritized work including door replacements (about $250,000 identified before the audit) and more than $1 million in deferred-maintenance candidates. School leaders said some security improvements — secure vestibules, fencing, upgraded exterior lighting and camera systems — require significant multi-site investment and dedicated project management to move from assessment to construction.

Specific capital items and project management: School leaders and facilities staff described a range of maintenance and modernization priorities:

- Door replacements and deferred-maintenance items identified through a safety audit and condition assessments; the schools reported roughly $250,000 of door work identified prior to the audit and more than $1 million of deferred maintenance candidates overall.

- Secure vestibules: leaders said some older schools lack vestibules that route visitors into offices before entering school spaces; retrofitting vestibules can be structurally complex and costly at older sites.

- Lighting and fencing upgrades, exterior stair and sidewalk repairs, and closed-circuit-TV/security-camera enhancements for multiple schools.

- A request for a dedicated project manager to coordinate school projects with city construction and facilities staff, which school leaders said would help keep smaller projects and safety priorities moving.

Funding, fund balance and a recent furniture approval: The board approved use of fund balance to buy new furniture for an upcoming fifth-grade transition (the board’s approval was recorded in the meeting). The division reported $379,000 allocated from fund balance for new furniture, and school leaders said they would prefer to reconcile whether that expense should be classified as small-cap or from surplus funds.

Track lighting fundraising and project cost: Council members asked about private fundraising for track lighting at Charlottesville High School. A city staff member reported a community fundraising total of $78,575 raised by the athletic boosters in conjunction with the Perry Foundation and other donors. The total project cost and the amount remaining to funders were discussed during the meeting but were not recorded in a definitive, single dollar figure in the transcript excerpt.

Next steps and coordination: City and school officials agreed that the audit’s highest-priority safety items need clearer assignment and prioritization. City staff and the superintendent said they will continue to reconcile what is already covered by city agreements (facilities maintenance, grounds, construction) and what should be added or clarified in written intergovernmental agreements. Council and school leaders also discussed using CIP contingency for truly emergent work, and the superintendent said he will continue to pursue revisions to the CIP and prioritization with the city.