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Goochland schools prioritize boiler replacement and a $30M CTE addition amid aging facilities
Summary
School officials told supervisors an aging boiler in the secondary complex requires urgent attention and proposed a 30,000-square-foot CTE addition with a program-level estimate near $30 million; the division plans an architecture/engineering RFP and noted $18.2 million remains from the 2021 bond series.
School officials elevated an urgent boiler replacement and a multi-component career-and-technical-education (CTE) addition as FY27 capital priorities during a Goochland County joint work session.
Maintenance director Mr. Forbes described internal insulation failing on a 26-year-old boiler ship and warned that continuing to defer replacement increases safety and service risks. "When boilers get old like that ... the internal components start to ... be more susceptible," Mr. Forbes said, noting that complete replacement could face 30–40-week lead times and that a failure could disrupt dining halls and other shared spaces. Dr. Armstrong said the inspection findings prompted the schools to bump the boiler to top priority for FY27 capital planning.
On broader capital needs, Dr. Armstrong outlined a proposed CTE/secondary addition of about 30,000 square feet to centralize programs such as agriculture, ROTC, TV/video production and early-childhood education. Initial engineering-order-of-magnitude figures were at about $20 million for the addition alone, and the division cited a program-level estimate near $30 million when accounting for retrofits and associated improvements. Staff told supervisors that approximately $18.2 million remains available from the 2021 bond series and suggested a reimbursement resolution could allow the county to front A&E work until financing is finalized.
Dr. Armstrong said an RFP for architecture-and-engineering services would go out soon to refine scope, costs and questions such as whether the addition should be freestanding or connected to the existing secondary complex, and reminded supervisors that decisions on parking, greenhouse relocation and related site work will affect final costs.
Next steps: the school division plans to issue an A&E RFP, visit comparable facilities, and return with refined cost estimates and financing details for board consideration.
