Board approves CIP request and schedules Oct. 14 budget seminar as division flags $1M+ bus replacement need

Fluvanna County School Board members on Sept. 10 approved the division’s capital improvement plan and adopted a FY2027 budget calendar that includes a school board seminar on Oct. 14. The CIP includes a multi‑year list of projects—bus replacements, grounds equipment, IT virtualization, food‑service generators and a proposed field house addition—and staff emphasized approval is a request to the Board of Supervisors, not a funding guarantee.

Finance staff reported the FY25 projection shows an anticipated fund balance of just under $450,000 and described a nonlocal carryover request that exceeds one percent of the county budget and therefore requires advertisement and a public hearing before funds may be used. The board discussed dates and settled on a tentative seminar for Oct. 14 from 9 a.m. to noon.

CIP staff said the request includes six buses in a single year (cost approaching $1 million for six buses) and noted bus replacement is typically managed on a 15–20 year cycle; the board signaled support for regularizing bus replacement to avoid future spikes in requests.

Board members also flagged the field house project as costly and noted potential Title IX implications that require legal review. The board approved the CIP plan and the budget calendar by voice vote; members asked staff to prioritize projects and follow up with county administrators and the planning commission ahead of budget negotiations with the Board of Supervisors.

Next steps: staff will pursue prioritization conversations and schedule the public hearing required for carryover funds; the board will bring CIP priorities to the supervisors during budget deliberations.