Stafford schools outline $600M capital plan, board sets aside emergency repair funds

Stafford County Public Schools on Dec. 17 presented a five‑ to ten‑year capital improvement plan that school officials said is driven by sustained enrollment growth and a string of facility needs.

Superintendent Daniel Smith, on his seventh day in the job, and Deputy Superintendent Chris Fulmer outlined the FY26–35 CIP, which school staff said includes new elementary schools (ES‑18, ES‑19), High School 6 construction that remains on time and on budget, and future projects such as a replacement for Hartwood Elementary and Drew Middle School design. The schools projected adding several thousand seats over the next decade and described a first‑five‑year capital need in the hundreds of millions: "we're looking at 600‑plus million in the first five years," school staff said.

Fulmer said the division is using prototype elementary designs to limit cost per square foot and reported a projected $10 million savings on one elementary project. He also described pressing operational issues: the division operates more than 300 buses but has seating for roughly 193 bus parking spaces, leading to security and routing challenges; staff proposed additional bus lots and a northern fleet facility to reduce driving time and long‑term operating costs.

During the meeting the board also approved wiring a previously set aside capital reserve: Andrea Light, the county CFO, reminded the board that its FY25 adopted budget set aside $3.5 million for school emergency repairs. The school division requested reimbursement for $611,165 of unanticipated maintenance costs; the board voted to appropriate those funds (Resolution R24‑349), with the motion passing 7‑0.

Board members pressed staff for clearer lists of critical projects and asked for status reporting—Supervisor Allen and others asked for a simple, visual red/yellow/green list of emergent facility needs to aid budget decisions. School staff said facility audits (facility site index) and outside assessments are available and that they would provide access and periodic summaries so the board can track critical systems, roofing, HVAC and other high‑priority maintenance items.

Supervisors also discussed timing for projects in growth areas such as Westlake and Embry Mill subdivisions and how those developments affect the district’s projected enrollment and siting for future elementary schools. Officials said some projects will require coordination with VDOT for off‑site improvements and that design funding timing will determine when projects enter the county’s capital budget cycle.

The board directed staff to continue coordination during the January budget cycle and to provide materials that allow board members to see near‑term emergent repairs alongside multi‑year capital planning.