Fluvanna school board approves $443,506 carryover request focused on safety, attendance and technology

The Fluvanna County School Board voted to ask the Board of Supervisors to return and appropriate $443,506 in FY25 carryover funds for immediate school needs, including support for school safety, attendance staff, SAT/PSAT test access and targeted technology and facilities work.

Board member Dr. Kelly moved the formal carryover request and described a ranked list of 10 items the board will ask supervisors to fund; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The board’s proposal places public-safety and day‑to‑day student supports at the top of the list and allocates money for a mix of one‑time purchases and half‑year staff funding.

Why it matters: School leaders said rising health‑insurance costs, continuing efforts to close long‑running pay gaps and sharply elevated chronic absenteeism have made next year’s budget planning unusually constrained. The carryover request is intended to allow the division to keep short‑term positions and equipment while the board pursues longer‑term funding through the county budget process.

What the board approved and prioritized - School safety/SRO advocacy: $113,306.36 to be requested as a county appropriation that the board asks the county to use, if possible, to restore or fund SRO (school resource officer) capacity; the board emphasized this request is contingent on county and sheriff’s office staffing and legal authorities. (motion moved by Dr. Kelly) - Attendance support: $40,200 to fund two part‑time/contract attendance support positions for the remainder of the fiscal year to address chronic absenteeism. - Unarmed school security officer (SSO): $25,000 to fund a half‑year SSO position (proposed for the middle school) as an unarmed, school‑based security/support role. - Ground/athletics cart (Toro): $15,000 to buy a field cart usable for athletics and grounds operations, also intended to make emergency evacuation on fields safer. - SAT/PSAT access: $10,000 to subsidize test fees for students who otherwise cannot pay; staff noted historic annual costs were approximately $20,000–$26,000 when the district paid for testing for all students. - Network and AV items: $100,000 for replacement of the high‑school chassis/network hardware; $20,000 for a backup Cisco 9500 fiber switch; $45,000 for a high‑school auditorium AV upgrade. - Central Elementary bathrooms: $50,000 to continue piecemeal renovations begun in earlier years. - Fleet/fuel system: $25,000 to migrate the division to FuelMaster Live (fuel system modernization).

Board discussion and background Superintendent and staff presentations described several operating pressures that shaped the board’s priorities. Staff presented enrollment trends and 10‑year projections (including data from the Weldon Cooper Center at the University of Virginia), class‑size averages and a multi‑year summary of compensation and health‑insurance decisions the board has made since 2021. The presenters told the board they do not yet have final direction from the state on SOQ (Standards of Quality) or the governor’s budget, and that VRS (Virginia Retirement System) rates and other state calculations typically arrive in November.

Attendance: Board members repeatedly raised chronic absenteeism as urgent. Staff presented a multi‑year trend showing chronic absenteeism in Fluvanna peaked near about 42% in 2021–22 and has fallen to roughly 25% in the most recent reporting year; members said this level remains far higher than neighboring divisions and said the board should prioritize interventions. Staff committed to a fuller presentation at the November meeting describing current attendance work — including outreach, home visits and court‑linked interventions — and to provide comparative details on what neighboring divisions do.

Compensation and insurance: Staff reviewed the division’s multi‑year pay actions (steps/percent increases across several years), changes to health‑insurance cost‑sharing and targeted increases for specific groups (for example, bus drivers). They warned the board to plan for a large health‑insurance premium increase next year: staff cited a projection in the presentation of roughly $900,000–$925,000 (staff attributed the figure to claims trends and broker estimates) and said the division is exploring bids and wellness incentives to counter rising costs. Staff also described the district’s employee wellness program that allows participants to earn up to $600 annually in incentives (the amount is the IRS non‑taxable maximum for benefits of that form, per staff).

Special education and student supports: Staff said Fluvanna’s reported special‑education identification rate is higher than some neighbors and suggested part of that difference is stronger identification and child‑find work in the district. Board members asked for more analysis on cause and on whether transfer students account for part of the higher rate.

Technology and facilities: The board debated a set of technology replacements and facilities items. Staff recommended postponing major Promethean (interactive panel) replacements and instead pursuing staged refreshes of internal components where feasible. The board moved network chassis and fiber‑switch items, an auditorium AV upgrade and Central Elementary bathroom retrofits into the prioritized carryover list.

Vote and next steps Dr. Kelly moved the carryover request, which the board approved by voice vote. Staff will present the ranked list and a formal request to the Board of Supervisors; board members said they will attend the supervisors’ meeting to advocate for returning the identified funds. Staff also committed to a detailed attendance intervention briefing at the board’s November meeting and to providing updated salary‑comparison data as the budget season progresses.

Public comment Two community members spoke in support of restoring PSAT/SAT funding: Ashley Crocker of the 4th Kena District and Jocelyn Cunningham (who helped fundraise for PSAT access) thanked the board for adding the test‑fee subsidy to the carryover list.

Ending Board members thanked staff for the data and the lengthy meeting and reiterated that the carryover request is a stopgap to address immediate safety, attendance and technical needs while the board and county pursue longer‑term budget solutions.