School board prioritizes school resource officers as carryover request list grows with tech and facility needs

Fluvanna County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Brooks told the board that staff had prepared a worksheet of candidate projects to include in a county carryover (turn-back) request and recommended SROs remain the district’s top priority.

The recommendation came during a wide-ranging discussion of items the division could seek if the Board of Supervisors returns any unspent county funds to the schools. Dr. Brooks said school safety — specifically ensuring an SRO in every school building — should be the first use of any carryover money the county is willing to return.

Why it matters: Board members framed the carryover list as a one‑time funding opportunity that should be used for discrete, non‑recurring needs. Several members said guaranteeing SRO coverage would address an immediate safety gap; others pressed for a prioritized list so the board could present a concise case to supervisors on Nov. 1, the county’s carryover deadline.

What staff presented: Dr. Brooks and technology staffer Josh reviewed a range of items for possible single‑year funding, including: - Funding to support SROs or contracted armed school safety officers (no firm cost yet; board asked staff to continue discussions with the sheriff and a third‑party vendor model used by other divisions). - Curriculum adoptions across K‑12 (state changes may require division purchases; staff estimated adoption could cost in the “hundreds of thousands” and suggested a rough $800,000 planning figure if the state timeline holds). - Data center and network upgrades: the high‑school chassis switches were estimated at roughly $80,000–$100,000 per data closet; a 9,500‑series fiber switch runs about $20,000; staff said a data‑center refresh request recently included about $1 million in prior conversations. - Classroom display refresh: rather than replace entire interactive panels (~$3,500 each), staff recommended replacing the internal computer module (estimated $600–$1,000 each) to extend life and lower cost. Staff initially proposed a placeholder of roughly $60,000 for a portion of panels but will refine the number. - Auditorium audiovisual upgrades and microphone replacements (quote provided to staff of about $45,000, and staff said adding integrated ceiling mics could add another estimated cost). - FuelMaster cloud migration to move vehicle fuel accounting from an on‑premise server to FuelMaster Live (county/board cost‑share discussed; no final ask yet). - Grounds/maintenance replacement equipment, a tow/utility cart for athletics and facility support, and network cold‑spares to shorten outage recovery.

Board discussion and next steps: Board members pressed staff for more precise cost estimates before the Tuesday budget seminar; several asked the superintendent to rank items and provide comparative data showing what a proposed attendance or additional SRO hire would buy (examples requested: how many officers, expected coverage, and whether an additional attendance coordinator could pay for itself by increasing average daily membership). Dr. Brooks said staff had already contacted the sheriff’s office and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources about possible support and would continue those conversations.

No formal decision was made. Board members directed staff to refine numbers and return a prioritized packet at the work session next week.

Ending note: Board members agreed the SRO question should lead the carryover request if the county returns funds, and asked staff to prepare cost breakdowns and comparative data for the Tuesday seminar so the board could frame a clear, rank‑ordered ask to the Board of Supervisors.