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Residents press for Westside Elementary replacement as county, schools secure $14 million state grant
Summary
Speakers at the Isle of Wight County Board of Supervisors meeting urged replacing century-old Westside Elementary and expanding Smithfield High. County and school officials said the Commonwealth awarded about $14 million toward Westside’s replacement; full project cost and next steps remain under review.
Public comments at the Isle of Wight County Board of Supervisors meeting focused on long-standing school facility needs, with local PTA representatives urging the board to prioritize a full replacement of Westside Elementary School and to add Smithfield High School expansion to the capital plan.
"It is well past time this building was replaced," Greg Brown said, urging supervisors to support the replacement of Westside. "We have nowhere else to educate the hundreds of students that are currently attending Westside." Lee Hanley, who identified herself as Westside PTA president, emphasized the school’s historic role and asked the county to "honor its history with a lasting investment."
The board then heard from school officials during a public hearing on proposed revisions to the county’s FY26–35 Capital Improvement Plan. Dr. Chris Coleman told the board that the Commonwealth awarded approximately $14,000,000 from the state school construction assistance program toward the Westside Elementary School replacement. Coleman said the superintendent’s memo with grant details is expected to be released to guide next steps.
The county’s fiscal model presented at the meeting does not include the full $50,000,000 Westside replacement as a single lump sum because the project is a replacement rather than a capacity-driven addition; staff said capacity generated at a new Westside facility could relieve pressure on other schools. Officials said further planning will be needed to reconcile the grant award, project scope and the county’s capital plan.
Supervisors and staff stressed budget constraints and the need to identify funding sources. One board member noted prior consideration of tax-rate changes and urged the public to follow the county’s budget process. The meeting closed the item with staff indicating that more information on the grant and the CIP revision will be distributed once state guidance is issued.
What happens next: staff will provide the board with details from the state superintendent’s memo and will propose how the $14 million award fits into the county’s capital plan and any additional funding needs for a full Westside replacement.
