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Caroline County and School Board disagree over construction MOU; attorneys to clarify Virginia code as reversion funds request deferred
Summary
At a Jan. 13 joint work session, the Caroline County Board of Supervisors and the School Board clashed over a proposed MOU for construction at Bowling Green Elementary. Attorneys will meet to resolve whether the County may retain ownership/control during construction; a request to re-appropriate FY2025 reversion funds for Lewis & Clark learning villas was deferred.
At a Jan. 13 joint work session, the Caroline County Board of Supervisors and the Caroline County School Board debated how to structure construction of a gym and classrooms at Bowling Green Elementary.
The Board of Supervisors said it voted in December to add classrooms and a gym at no cost to the school budget and proposed an MOU that would have the County retain ownership and control of funding during construction, transferring title to the School Board after completion. County Attorney Christopher Mackenzie told attendees that, in his view, that approach is permissible under the Code of Virginia.
School Board leaders, including Superintendent Dr. Sarah Calveric, supported the gym as an equity measure but opposed adding permanent classrooms at Bowling Green, saying the school already houses more than 850 students and that adding classrooms could worsen overcrowding elsewhere and extend bus routes. The School Board’s redline MOU proposed joint procurement, joint construction management and final design approval resting with the School Board; their attorney advised against ceding traditional School Board authority over construction.
Both parties agreed to have their attorneys — County Attorney Christopher Mackenzie and School Board counsel Stacy Haney — meet to clarify statutory limits before further MOU drafting proceeds. County and school administration staff were also assigned follow-up tasks, including adding the Lewis & Clark reversion fund request to the next Board of Supervisors agenda and coordinating on how Bowling Green breakout wall work would affect existing modular learning villas.
The School Board additionally requested access to FY2025 year-end unexpended school funds (reversion) to purchase and install modular learning villas at Lewis & Clark Elementary. Staff reported an unaudited reversion balance of about $847,000 plus approximately $150,000 verified by the interim treasurer (total approximately $1,000,000). Under the Code of Virginia, reversion funds revert to the County and require Board re-appropriation; the Board deferred action and will consider the request at a future meeting.
No formal votes were taken on the MOU or the Lewis & Clark reversion request at the work session. Next steps recorded in meeting minutes include an attorneys’ legal clarification on permissible ownership/control during construction and scheduling a follow-up joint meeting between the two boards.
