News Release
For Immediate Release
June 6, 2022
Contact
Gina Patterson, executive director
434-295-8722 or gina@vsba.org
Virginia School Boards Association Establishes Task Force to Address School Construction and Infrastructure Funding Needs
Charlottesville, VA – On June 6, 2022, the Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) Board of Directors voted to establish a task force focused on assisting school boards in advocating for best practices and outcomes for improving the infrastructure of school divisions in the Commonwealth. The VSBA Task Force on School Infrastructure Needs will engage federal, state, and local leaders to ensure the need for increased federal and state resources is recognized as a critical priority.
“I ran for School Board to address pressing capital improvement needs for the schools in my community. I could not see trash cans in the hallways collecting rainwater from the school roof that my siblings would attend and not do all I could to fix that problem. As we seek to have the best schools for our children, our facilities are a critical element.” said Teddy D. Martin, II VSBA President. “While school construction and renovation have been seen as a local issue, we need state and federal support for the many needs across our Commonwealth and to work together to ensure our children’s opportunities are not determined by their zip codes. This task force will spotlight these ongoing issues and recommend how to best leverage all funding opportunities to ensure all our students have innovative, sustainable, safe, supportive environments to cultivate academic success.”
During the 2022 session of the Virginia General Assembly, lawmakers discussed the importance of addressing the infrastructure needs of school divisions citing a report released in late 2021 by the Virginia Commission on School Construction and Modernization. The report determined more than half of the Commonwealth’s school buildings are at least 50 years or older. In response to these details, the Commission estimated the cost of replacing over 1,000 aging facilities to be roughly $25 billion.
“The VSBA Task Force on School Infrastructure Needs is confident that progress will occur as parents, community leaders, and policymakers recognize the necessity for each student to attend a modern, safe school,” said David Woodard, Task Force Co-Chair and VSBA President Elect. “In the coming months, the task force will work to find ways to involve the public and private sectors in efforts to create an equitable method to fund school infrastructure in the Commonwealth.”
“I look forward to working with the VSBA Task Force on an issue important to school divisions across the Commonwealth of Virginia.” said Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr., Co-Chair and Alexandria City, Superintendent. “The General Assembly recently approved a budget containing funding for grants and loans relative to school modernization. This progress makes the work of our task force timely.”
Virginia School Boards Association Task Force on School Construction Members:
David Woodard, Co-Chair
Tazewell County VSBA President-Elect
Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr., Co-Chair
Alexandria City, Superintendent
Dr. Keith Perrigan
Bristol City, Superintendent
Dr. Sarah Calveric
Caroline County, Superintendent
Karen Corbett Sanders
Fairfax County, School Board Member
Janet Turner-Giles
Nelson County, School Board Member
VSBA Past President
Douglas Brown
Newport News City, School Board Chair
Lucy Carson
Prince Edward County, School Board Chair
Chris Johnson
Prince George County, School Board Chair
Meg Bohmke
Stafford County, Board of Supervisors Member
VACO President
About the Virginia School Boards Association
Virginia School Boards Association, a voluntary, nonpartisan organization of Virginia school boards, promotes excellence in public education through advocacy, training and services. The Association offers conferences, information, training, and counseling designed to meet the needs of the Commonwealth’s educational leaders.
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