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Culpeper County School Board adopts FY27–31 capital improvement plan; major projects highlighted
Summary
After a staff presentation and questions from board members, the Culpeper County School Board voted 7–0 to adopt a five-year Capital Improvement Plan for fiscal years 2027–2031, prioritizing FY27 projects including facility upgrades, bus purchases and planning for new construction.
The Culpeper County School Board on Dec. 8 adopted a five-year Capital Improvement Plan (FY27–FY31) after a staff presentation that outlined county-funded, carryover, transfer-funded and unfunded project categories.
Mister Dean presented the plan as “a five-year strategic budgeting tool” and emphasized that FY27 is the priority year for funding and action. He listed major items under consideration, including the Sims Drive extension, the renovation of Culpeper Middle School (CMS), Mount Run Elementary School work, HVAC upgrades at Emerald Hill Elementary School, parking and paving projects, safety and technology upgrades, and ongoing transportation and facilities requests.
The presentation included multiple cost estimates and funding notes: staff reported prior appropriations totaling about $119,000,000, an FY27 project sum described in presentation slides as $5,200,000 (FY27 total projects) and also referenced an FY27 request figure that appears in the slides as $1.2 million in one place and $1.8 million in another. The presenter characterized the amounts as estimates and said several items remain subject to county appropriation and final bids.
On specific items, staff said Sims Drive extension had a preliminary estimate of about $1.2 million for right-of-way acquisition and that the county and board of supervisors are actively discussing land purchase and right-of-way agreements. The CMS renovation and Mount Run Elementary were indicated in presentation materials at roughly $69 million and $42 million respectively (presented as prior appropriations/ongoing projects). Transportation plans called for a bus replacement cadence (five buses per year) and an annual transportation budget request shown as about $756,000 to support that cadence; presenters noted five new diesel buses had already been delivered and some planned bus purchases were already funded.
Board members pressed for detail on stadium and parking work at CCHS and Farmington and on finishing costs at the EV gym (floor refinish, bleacher repairs, scoreboards). Staff said some items are estimated, some funding is already allocated, and that the facilities condition assessment (FCA) — an outside review estimated around $120,000 — will be used to further prioritize projects.
Deborah Desilets moved to accept the CIP “as presented.” The motion was seconded, and the chair announced the motion passed 7–0.
The board was informed that many CIP projects still require separate appropriation or contract actions by the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors; staff warned that several line items are planning estimates and may change when design, bidding and county appropriation occur. The record shows staff applied for the School Construction Assistance Program (SCAP) for larger projects but noted the division is often not selected because its buildings are well maintained.
Next steps: the board adopted the CIP to guide planning and will work with the county on formal appropriations and contract awards before work begins. The presentation materials and some slide figures presented differing FY27 estimates; staff characterized the numbers as preliminary and said they will return with reconciled budget detail as projects move to appropriation and contracting.
