Caswell County Schools asks board for major increases; district prioritizes HVAC and roofs
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Summary
Caswell County Schools presented FY2026 requests that would raise county support by more than $2.1 million, citing urgent HVAC failures and leaking roofs at multiple schools and asking for a prioritized capital plan and condition assessment.
Caswell County Schools delivered a multi-part FY2026 request that included substantial increases in current operating support and capital outlay, and school officials told commissioners the district—s most urgent capital needs are HVAC replacements and roof repairs at several facilities.
What the schools requested: School staff requested an increase in current expenses of roughly $1.09 million and sought about $651,000 more for capital outlay. Taken together those items would increase county support by more than $2.1 million compared with FY2025, according to school-provided figures presented at the session. School leaders emphasized that HVAC units at older school buildings are aging and that some chillers or compressors are operating past expected service life; in multiple cases, parts and maintenance have become more expensive.
Why it matters: County financial advisers told the board there are revenue streams that can be dedicated to school capital—restricted local sales taxes and lottery repair/renovation funds—and presented models showing how those resources, combined with a dedicated annual amount, could fund school projects without a large one-time tax spike. Representatives noted the district also holds several million dollars in restricted school fund balance at the state, which could be tapped for near-term needs.
Board response and requested follow-up: Commissioners asked the school system for a condition assessment and an updated five-year capital improvement plan before approving large capital draws from county funds or restricted revenues. Several commissioners said they wanted a clearer prioritization (e.g., which roofs and which HVAC units are most critical) and a timeline for implementation and operating costs. No formal budget change was adopted at the work session; staff asked the schools to return with a prioritized list, project costs and funding scenarios.
Taper: County financial advisers offered illustrative scenarios in the meeting showing that, under conservative assumptions, dedicated school capital revenues could support several million dollars in borrowing with manageable debt-service impacts if the county preserves newly freed capacity as older debts mature.