FACT: School modernizations and replacements are funded through the city’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and guided by the school division’s long-range facilities master plan.
The long-range facilities master plan was updated and formally accepted by the School Board this past year after a year-long process involving the community. The CIP budget addresses the current year’s needs as well as planned capital projects for the succeeding five-year period. Projects include construction, renovation of school buildings and facilities, HVAC replacements and equipment updates. Requests for CIP funding are updated each year by the school division and are presented in March to City Council along with the Superintendent’s Estimate of Needs (SEON). A public hearing is held in March to offer the community an opportunity to provide input. City Council must approve the appropriation budget for the school division operating and CIP budgets no later than May 15. To learn more about the city’s Capital Improvement Program planning, visit vbgov.com, or to learn more about the school division’s budget process, visit vbschools.com.