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Frederick County seeks new revenue streams for aging schools and explicit SRO funding for threat assessment work
Summary
Division officials told legislators that many buildings are due for renovation, described a $80 million SCAP grant program and local funding gaps, and asked that school resource officers (SROs) be written into state code with allocated dollars to relieve operational strain from threat assessments.
Frederick County Public Schools outlined a two-part ask on facilities and safety at its Oct. 16 Legislative Summit: secure new or permissive revenue streams for renovations and new construction, and ensure state-funded resources for safety work, including school resource officers.
Ben Thompson, the division’s assistant superintendent for administration, reviewed the age profile of local school buildings and described frequent maintenance challenges. “We’re currently in a position right now where we know one of our building automation systems is becoming obsolete,” Thompson said, adding that decisions about buying obsolete parts versus replacing systems are driven by lack of capital funding. He noted FY25–26 SCAP grants totaled $80,000,000 statewide but said smaller grants are often applied to pre-approved projects and do not resolve large, district-level shortfalls.
On safety, Thompson described the time demands of Virginia’s threat-assessment process—initial triage can be quick but moderate or high-level events require hours of administrative and counseling work and ongoing case management. He asked that SROs be included in the state code as an allocated expense to local divisions so the burden does not fall on instructional staff. “Our recommendation is we respectfully ask that school resource officers are included in the state code for allocated dollars,” Thompson said.
Delegate Wiley, present at the summit, told attendees his side of the aisle has historically supported SROs in schools and pledged continued support. Division leaders asked legislators to consider statutory changes or targeted funding and said they would supply specific project lists and cost estimates for follow-up.
No binding action was taken at the summit; presenters framed the session as a briefing and partnership request and said they would continue to work with legislators and state officials on potential statutory language and funding paths.
