New Kent schools back $56 million budget, new elementary school project at joint work session

New Kent County Public Schools continue to support their cause for funding and the construction of a new elementary school.

School officials presented a $56,483,363 budget to county leaders as part of Friday morning’s joint work session between the school board and supervisors at the Providence Forge Forestry Center.

Of the aforementioned amount, the school’s general fund is being requested in the amount of $52,468,218, up seven percent from the current year. The school’s textbook fund received a small bump, but the nutrition fund is projected to decrease by almost $1.5 million. The school grand fund is expected to grow slightly by just over $100,000 for a total amount of$1,636,837.

Of the school’s $56 million budget, approximately $38,151,939 is geared towards instruction. Administration and health are listed at $4.1 million, transportation services are pegged at $4.6 million, operations and maintenance come in with a total of $4.5 million, school nutritional services are estimated at $2 million, technology is around $2.2 million, and a contingency fund is slated to have $156,487.

As with previous years, teachers usually receive a cost-of-living raise as well as a pay increase. In this year’s budget, $732,071 is being asked to address cost-of-living, with teachers receiving a one percent pay bump that amounts to $236,393. Savings are expected with VRS rates, but healthcare adjustments are anticipated to cost $844,262. In total, 84 percent of the school’s general fund budget is expected to go towards salaries and benefits.

Other notable changes include adjustments to salary scales, increases in tuition for regional programs, adjustments to contracted services, and increased costs for maintenance and custodial services.

The school asked for $1.1 million in position requests that they deemed as priority needs. Among those positions include two elementary school teachers, a school psychologist, a high school assistant principal, and stipends for several after school activities. More than $1.3 million in other positions were not asked for in this budget cycle.

Excluding the recommendation for the construction of a new elementary school, the school’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) requests total $4.55 million. Among top priorities include replacing HVAC systems at New Kent High School ($1,057,248), new school buses ($672,000), new playground equipment at New Kent Elementary School ($606,843), fan coil units at George Watkins Elementary School ($415,506), and upgrading practice fields at New Kent High School ($311,000).

The new elementary school project is penciled in at $58 million according to New Kent County Administrator Rodney Hathaway’s proposed budget. If approved, borrowing rates would be $65 million for the new elementary school and $70 million for the new courthouse, which is also proposed in the upcoming cycle. Both plans are 30-year terms with a five-percent interest rate. Total debt service would be $128,663,005 for the new elementary school and $138,560,160 for the courthouse.

School officials also mentioned the possibility for the need of a new middle school. In past meetings, New Kent superintendent of schools Brian Nichols has expressed concerns about New Kent Middle School reaching near capacity. In past years, additions have been placed onto the building, but Nichols does not know how much longer than that. In previous discussions in past meetings, a location adjacent to George Watkins Elementary School has been discussed as a possible location for a new school.

Financially, the county is currently in good condition. The proposed five-cent tax increase as well revenue from businesses is expected to help offset the cost of debt services and constructions. According to Hathaway, the county is in compliance with its fund balance and debt financial policies, with the expectation that identifying projects will create some additional debt affordability for the new projects under construction.

In another matter, a small presentation on data centers in New Kent County was presented at the budget retreat. During a recent meeting of New Kent’s Planning Commission, the possibility of an Technology Overlay District (TOD) was discussed. While nothing has been made official and several conversations continue to center around data centers, information presented at the work session sent a clear message that those facilities will bring revenue. The question that was asked at the session is how much revenue and how the battle over facilities, restrictions, and public hearing processes will play over the months and years to come.
According to additional comments, New Kent is being looked at as a growing pipeline for data centers due to its proximity to major cities in Virginia. Supervisors kept comments minimal but reemphasized that public input will be critical in discussions about data centers in the New Kent community.