Supervisors press schools on grants, treasurer reports high collections and reserve balances

Supervisors pressed Amherst County school officials in May for details about several federal and state grants before voting to approve the consent agenda; the county treasurer reported high collection rates and recommended moving larger school account balances into the local government investment pool to earn higher interest.

Supervisor Chris (last name not specified in the record) questioned two supplemental appropriations and a textbook reserve withdrawal on the consent agenda and asked whether grant-funded activities would create long-term obligations for the school operating budget. Kim McConnell, representing the school system, said most of the grants are for contracted services rather than recurring personnel costs and that some funds are one-time, carryover or may be applied for again but are not guaranteed. “Those two school‑based mental‑health... do not fund any positions. It is all contracted services,” McConnell told the board. She said the All In Virginia funds are one-time and will require the school division to absorb some costs after the funds lapse.

McConnell said the grants will fund summer school, two literacy teachers, a math specialist, an attendance officer and a homebound instruction coordinator; some positions or functions may carry over into the next fiscal year, and the school division plans to request carryover where allowed. She said textbook-adoption purchases (K–5 literacy) were partly funded by a $260,000 literacy grant and that a $3.75 million textbook reserve draw this year funded a specific adoption, not general operations.

Why it matters: Supervisors asked these questions to understand the long-term operating impact of one-time and recurring grants and whether the county will face future operating costs after federal or state grant funding ends.

Treasurer's report: The county treasurer reported real-estate collections at 98.72% (covering 2012–2024 records that the office retains) and personal-property collection at 96.76%. The treasurer said school-related accounts — textbook and cafeteria reserves — hold more than $1 million and $2 million respectively and suggested staff explore investing these balances in the Local Government Investment Pool (LGIP) to earn higher short-term yield while preserving liquidity. “I think the LGIP is the best move you can make. It's... you can get it whenever you need it,” the treasurer said.

The board asked staff to return with a recommendation on investing county and school account balances, and supervisors said they expect the county administrator and school leadership to coordinate on carryover and budget implications.

Ending: The board approved the consent agenda by voice vote after the clarifications; supervisors and staff agreed to follow up with technical budget questions outside the meeting.