Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lunenburg schools report $4.5M HVAC grant, warn enrollment drop could cut state funds by ~$300,000
Summary
Assistant Superintendent James Abernathy told the Board that a $4.5 million, grant‑funded HVAC replacement is scheduled for May–August 2022 and requires no additional county funds. He warned that current enrollment (1,508) is below the budgeted 1,550 and could reduce state revenue by about $300,000 if unchanged.
Assistant School Superintendent and Finance Director James Abernathy reported to the Lunenburg County Board of Supervisors that the school division’s HVAC replacement is a $4.5 million, grant‑funded project with contractor work scheduled to begin in May 2022 and finish in August 2022. Abernathy said the project ‘‘would not require any additional funding from the county.’’
Abernathy also provided current enrollment figures: the budget is based on 1,550 students while actual enrollment stands at 1,508. He told supervisors that if enrollment remains at 1,508 the division could see roughly a $300,000 reduction in state funding. School fiscal staff are developing a contingency plan and Abernathy indicated he had spoken with state representatives to ensure the new HVAC units comply with grant requirements.
Supervisor Robert Zava asked about an enrollment‑contingency plan and asked school officials to meet with the county administrator if enrollment does not increase by next month. The board approved a resolution to adopt an early pay date of Dec. 17 for school staff, which Abernathy requested to align payroll timing before the holiday season.
Next steps: school staff will continue monitoring enrollment and finalize contingency plans; the HVAC vendor schedule remains May–August 2022 per the school finance report.
