New Kent School Board approves budget, discusses new location for tennis courts

New Kent School Board members have unanimously approved their budget for fiscal year 2015-16.

With no comments received during a March 16 public hearing, representatives approved the $29,478,021 budget recommended by superintendent of schools David Myers. The budget includes a 1.5% salary increase for school employees, as well as $300,000 for digital conversion to initiate a one-to-one technology initiative. At a March 9 meeting, New Kent county administrator Rodney Hathaway recommended that schools be fully funded for the next fiscal year.

In other business, school board members have decided on a possible new location for tennis courts. Board members elected to conduct studies on a practice field that sits in front of the high school as a new location. Currently, the field is being used for middle school football practice and shot put and discus events for track and field. Myers said that he has warmed up to the location after initial studies show the location already provides lighting and adequate parking which were concerns from county supervisors during a March 25 work session.

The current tennis courts located adjacent to New Kent Elementary School have been deemed as unplayable for matches and contain hazardous conditions. Building tennis courts at the new location would allow the current area occupied by the tennis courts to be converted to additional parking spaces or additional space to add trailers for New Kent Elementary due to increasing student population.