The Dinwiddie County School Board heard a multi-point facilities update from maintenance supervisor Mr. Hawkins that credited in-house crews with significant repairs and preventive work across the division.

Hawkins said crews replaced over 1,200 light bulbs since May (with additional replacements after Nov. 21), relamped gymnasiums and auditoriums, installed LED wall packs, added stadium security cameras and completed emergency exit-light work at multiple schools so the division would meet fire-inspection expectations. He described in-house plumbing fixes (including a complicated domestic hot-water leak) and HVAC equipment upgrades, and noted carpentry, painting with reflective beads for safer crosswalk visibility, and re-caulking classroom sinks as preventative maintenance.

Hawkins reviewed major emergency work: a boiler replacement that required crane operations at the middle school and excavation to reach damaged infrastructure, and a sinkhole at the middle-school press box that required contractor compaction after onsite investigation. He said the in-house workforce handled many of these complex tasks and that some new local contractors also contributed to field and grounds improvements.

As a measure of workload, Hawkins said service orders rose sharply: the division completed 1,261 service orders in 2024 and was on pace as of Nov. 21 to finish roughly 2,572 this year, which he characterized as about a 203% increase in output. Board members publicly introduced and thanked many maintenance staff by name during the meeting.

Board members and student representatives repeatedly praised the team's work; a citizen representing the Petersburg Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta also commended the division for infrastructure maintenance. The superintendent and board said they will continue to support maintenance priorities while planning budgets and capital needs.

Next steps: the division will continue preventative maintenance, complete remaining emergency items and factor maintenance needs into the next budget cycle.