Boards debate MOU that would give county construction control while schools retain instructional authority

A proposed memorandum of understanding that would let the county fund and manage construction projects while schools retain instructional control dominated a joint Caroline County meeting.

Speaker 15, the county's attorney, summarized the county's approach as keeping county funds and construction oversight during the build and transferring title to the school afterward. Speaker 15 said the draft MOU “contemplated the county funds and does the construction and then transfers control with the collaboration of the schools.”

School board members pushed back that final design approval and educational adequacy must remain with the school board. Speaker 3 said the school board has the legal responsibility to ensure educational adequacy, warning that expanding capacity beyond research-backed levels could harm school outcomes. “The school board still has the legal responsibility to ensure that the educational adequacy of that building is…to the point where it needs to be legally,” Speaker 3 said.

The core dispute centered on whether ownership and detailed control should rest with the county during construction or whether final approvals must rest with the school board. Speaker 8 (Superintendent Sarah Kalvarick) pressed for clarity about how construction activity would affect instruction and student safety, and she asked for written legal guidance; Speaker 8 said, “The gym is an equity issue,” while also cautioning that a multimillion-dollar expansion might not align with the demographic study.

Both sides agreed that attorneys must meet and clarify statutory constraints; Speaker 9 urged that lawyers reconvene to determine “what can and what can't” be done under the Code of Virginia. The meeting ended with a directive for legal teams to review the draft MOU and return with an agreed framework before work proceeds.