Prince George school board weighs using $2.08 million in carryover funds to add Beasley roofing and other projects

Prince George County Public Schools officials presented a plan March 3 to spend about $2,082,067 in carryover/capital funds and asked the school board whether to add roofing work at Beasley to the list of projects.

"In front of you, you have an updated spreadsheet for the, a little over $2,082,000 budget that are the carryover funds," Mr. Barnes told the board, outlining staff recommendations that would add Beasley roofing sections G and B and reallocate savings from a lower-than-expected quote for the North cafeteria/stage/gym controls.

The proposal would retain most large projects while cutting one student-transport van, keep three school buses, buy a single portable set of security object detectors to rotate among elementary schools (to be funded from a separate security grant), and increase purchases of secondary smart boards. Mr. Barnes said the actual quote for the North lights and controls came in at about $54,043, producing roughly $25,670 in savings that could be shifted to roofing and classroom technology.

Board members focused on two practical questions: whether county capital funds could be combined or reallocated to fund Beasley, and whether the division should ask the county to move money now or wait for clearer revenue numbers. Mr. Barnes said county staff indicated it was possible to consolidate the small capital balances the board had previously identified and that the Beasley project could be funded by combining a $266,731 appropriation with other carryover dollars to reach the roughly $374,300 total.

Several members pushed for more clarity on the origin of the carryover funds and why the same surplus conversations recur each year. "I'm still baffled on how we got here," one board member said, noting prior meetings and the way county allocations had shifted project priorities. Mr. Barnes and Mr. Sorensen, the division finance lead, explained the county's capital fund held about $640,000 that had been used on prior roofing projects and that a $107,569 rollover line was available to consolidate for roofing or other capital work.

School finance staff ran a live spreadsheet with multiple balancing scenarios, including reducing the proposed 5% pay increase to 3% and removing new position requests to close gaps. Mr. Sorensen told the board staff could project likely surplus ranges but cautioned unknowns — including state amendments and ADM (average daily membership) figures — could change the final numbers and recommended keeping some reserve rather than spending to zero.

Rather than adopt a single course at the March 3 meeting, the board asked staff to prepare two recommendation packages and a timeline: one path that assumes the division can free a portion of the $2,082,067 from its regular operating budget so roofing can proceed without a county reallocation, and a second path that requests specific reallocations from the county capital fund. Mr. Barnes said staff can present both options at the board’s March 17 meeting and that the county’s next available advertisement/approval window is April 8.

Why this matters: the division’s seven‑year roofing plan totals roughly $7.1 million; delaying projects increases repair costs and operational risk. The board’s choice will determine whether Beasley roofing sections are completed sooner and which other capital items (vehicles, scoreboards, smart boards, or field lights) are delayed or removed.

The board did not take a final vote on reallocating the $2,082,067 at the March 3 session; members set March 17 for follow-up and asked staff to return with the two recommended paths and specifics about what could be started immediately versus what would require county approval.