Pittsylvania County School Board approves carryover request, hears capital projects update

Miss Worley told the Pittsylvania County School Board that the division closed its 2025–26 budget year with a final budget of a little over $143,000,000 and a carryover of about $8,200,000, down from roughly $15,000,000 the prior year. She said the division will request an additional appropriation of about $2,400,000 for the 2026–27 budget and would send that request to the Board of Supervisors for approval and amendment.

"We ended our budget very well," Miss Worley said, and explained that the division met all expenditures, including prepaid items such as workers' compensation and property insurance. She attributed the need for the additional appropriation to a combination of factors: a decline in average daily membership (ADM) — the budget was built for about 7,371 students but closed at about 7,118 — which produced an operating shortfall of "a little over $2,600,000," pass-through bus lease accounting, and several grant-related or carryover items.

Worley detailed specific carryover categories: roughly $1,600,000 held for employee bonuses (state and local funds), textbook carryovers of $561,000, a little over $1,000,000 of grant funds received in advance that must be carried forward, and about $3.5 million earmarked for long-term maintenance projects. She said summer projects — roofing, paving, intercom replacements, painting and flooring — account for roughly $1,500,000 of the carryover.

Board members discussed program needs alongside the financial review. One member praised the district's new athletic trainers, calling their work "a lot of good work for our students," and the Chair said two additional trainers are needed to provide coverage at every school but noted funding and finding qualified staff are challenges.

Superintendent remarks and staff updates highlighted ongoing capital work funded in part by the local sales tax referendum, SCAP and end-of-year funds. The superintendent said the largest active construction effort is a 12-room addition at Kentucky Elementary, scheduled to be complete by July 27, and listed other projects including HVAC replacements at multiple schools, vestibule work at Mount Airy, drainage and wastewater repairs at Tunstall High, and targeted roof work funded in part by solar project savings.

The board voted to accept the year-end budget summary and to forward the carryover and appropriation request to the Board of Supervisors for inclusion in the 2026–27 budget. Chair noted the divisions' work to stretch funds and thanked staff for the effort to complete capital projects ahead of the school year.

The board's next procedural step is to have the Board of Supervisors consider the appropriation amendment; the district said it will bring the final 2026–27 budget to the board in August for approval before forwarding it to the county.