Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Heritage And Facilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Powhatan School Board declines MOU transferring Pocahontas Landmark Center; board members split 3-2
Summary
Powhatan County School Board voted 3-2 not to accept resolution R2025-49 and accompanying memorandum of understanding that would have transferred title to the Pocahontas Landmark Center to the county; trustees discussed preservation, demolition risk and historic African American museum placement.
The Powhatan County School Board voted 3-2 on Aug. 11 not to accept resolution R2025-49 and the accompanying memorandum of understanding (MOU) that would have transferred title of the Pocahontas Landmark Center (PLC) to Powhatan County.
The rejected MOU under consideration would have moved ownership of the PLC — a campus that includes the former Pocahontas High School and several later additions — from the school division to the county. Proponents said transfer would let the county pursue broader reuse, including a possible community center; opponents cited concerns about demolition, historic preservation and safeguarding the Powhatan African American Cultural Arts Museum housed in the building foyer.
The vote followed more than an hour of public comment and board discussion. Dozens of speakers urged the board either to preserve and repurpose the PLC or to ensure protections for the African American history preserved there. Roy Palmore, a 1966 graduate, told the board the buildings and the museum embody local Black history and urged preservation.
Board members said they reviewed the item’s fiscal and safety implications. Several members argued the county might be better placed to pay for large-scale repairs, while others stressed environmental and structural safety concerns and said the buildings could contain lead paint or asbestos that would be costly to remediate. The Board of Supervisors had included funding in its capital plan for work on the PLC, and supervisors had proposed the MOU to move the property to county control.
After debate, the school board recorded a roll-call vote: three trustees voted to reject acceptance of resolution R2025-49 and the accompanying MOU and two voted against that motion. The board did not pass the transfer tonight. Board members who supported referral to the county argued for time to let supervisors prepare a preservation-and-reuse plan; members who opposed expressed concern about leaving the site in limbo or about safety and remediation costs.
The board’s action leaves the property under school-board title for now and returns the issue to further negotiation between the two governing bodies. Several public commenters asked the board to require a specific written guarantee preserving the Powhatan African American Cultural Arts Museum’s space before any transfer proceeds. The board did not adopt such a guarantee in tonight’s vote.
Next steps were not set on the record beyond the board’s rejection of the resolution. Board and county staffers have authority to meet and draft alternative proposals; any new MOU or changes would return to the school board for formal consideration.
