The Isle of Wight County School Board on Dec. 11 voted to amend its Capital Improvement Plan to add a renovation and capacity-expansion project at Smithfield High School, a step staff said is needed for the county to accept developer proffers tied to new housing.

Board presentation staff said adding the project to the county’s five-year CIP is a legal prerequisite to accept proffers from developers and “does not obligate the county for funding.” “Adding the project to our CIP does not obligate the county for funding,” a presenting staff member said during the meeting. The board chair repeated that the amendment is a vehicle to preserve options if developers offer contributions.

Members discussed how proffers work and whether funds are earmarked for specific projects. Presentation staff said proffers historically have not been narrowly earmarked and that the county attorney or county administrator could provide a technical legal interpretation. “Proffers are not typically earmarked to a certain project,” the presenter said, adding staff would follow up with the county on calculation methodology.

Several members of the public urged urgency to replace Westside Elementary, citing long-standing roof and floor problems. Greg Brown, representing the Hardy Elementary PTA, said the nearly 100‑year‑old Westside building has “leaky roofs, buckling floors and plumbing issues,” and thanked the board for starting the architect selection process. Parent Lehi Hanley urged the board to convert momentum into budget action.

During public comment, Herb de Grofft raised concerns about inconsistent recordkeeping and cost estimates, including an itemized $49,000 roof expense and a cited $1,750,000 prior roof quote. De Grofft asked why a $70,000,000 figure that appeared on a recent SCAP submission had not been discussed in prior public meetings and requested legal counsel before any CIP amendment vote, suggesting the discrepancy could raise statutory questions. The board did not take additional public legal testimony before the vote.

The motion to amend the CIP was moved, seconded and approved in a roll-call vote with all voting members recorded as "Yes." Board members emphasized the amendment only makes the project eligible for proffers and does not commit local funding or a construction timeline.

Next steps staff outlined: if proffers become available when a housing application is presented to the Board of Supervisors, the supervisors would have the legal opportunity to accept funds to support the school project. Staff said they will present additional details to the Board of Supervisors and that the division’s SCAP submissions for related projects will continue to be pursued.

The board’s action reflects a procedural step to preserve funding options for projected capacity needs identified in a division enrollment and capacity study.