The Caroline County School Board voted to ask the Board of Supervisors to reappropriate an estimated $847,000 in FY25 carryover (reversion) funds to purchase modular classroom units for Lewis and Clark Elementary, which staff said is operating over capacity.

Chief Operations Officer Marcia Stevens told the board that the division projects the cost of modular units similar to those installed at Bowling Green at about $1,100,000 and asked the board to waive the first reading so staff could submit the request to the county in December. "The cost is projected at $1,100,000," Stevens said during the presentation. She described the modulars as needed not only for overflow but to free space for state-mandated functions such as pull-out instruction and counseling.

Board members pressed staff on fiscal risk: the requested funds are a projection until county audit reconciliations are finished, and some members urged caution about diverting reversion funds from deferred maintenance. "We literally just set through CIP to see what our priorities were. And next year we're looking at 2 years of deferred maintenance for buildings... And I wonder when we're gonna hit the breaking point," one board member said. Chair Calvin Taylor said temporary units are necessary given construction timelines: "We can't build a school in 2 years...the overcrowdedness is not going to wait," he added.

Stevens outlined possible gap funding if the carryover does not fully cover the modular cost: leftover county appropriations from a prior year, a rainy-day fund of about $127,000 held on county books, and state infrastructure match dollars. Staff said the $847,000 number is an unaudited projection tied to ongoing reconciliation with county finance staff and that they would request county approval in December if the board approved the submission.

After debate, the board moved and seconded a motion to request that the board of supervisors reappropriate the projected FY25 carryover in the amount of $847,000 for modulars at Lewis and Clark. The motion carried on a roll call vote, with members recorded as voting in the affirmative during the clerk's call. Staff will take the approved request to county administration for placement on the Board of Supervisors' December agenda and will prepare a memorandum of understanding outlining annual reappropriation options for future reversion funds.

What it means: The vote authorizes staff to pursue short-term modular capacity to address immediate overcrowding at Lewis and Clark while the division continues to press for longer-term capital solutions through the CIP and county appropriations. The board recorded concern about recurring use of carryover funds for one-time capital needs, noting the systemic nature of deferred maintenance and the need for a sustainable funding plan.

Next steps: Staff will submit the carryover appropriation request to the board of supervisors for consideration in December and return to the school board with a draft memorandum of understanding about reappropriating reversion funds for capital projects.