Summary of School Board Work Session #4 on the FY 2019-28 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)

On Tue, May 22, the School Board held Work Session #4 to continue discussions about the 2019-28 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).

At each work session, the School Board has considered options to make the best use of resources to complete capital projects in the timeframe in which these are needed. Capital projects are investments needed to build or expand schools and to improve the infrastructure of our schools, with funding provided by general obligation bonds issued by Arlington County once approved by a voter referendum every two years.

No decisions have been made on the 2019-28 CIP. On June 21, the School Board is scheduled to adopt the CIP and the bond resolutions that voters will consider in November 2018.

The last two work sessions have focused on potential scenarios for the School Board to consider for this CIP. Each scenario starts with opening a new elementary school at the Reed site in September of 2021, increasing seats for Arlington Tech at the Career Center, and adding new seats in the renovated Education Center. Variations focus on the amenities and opening date at the Career Center, an addition at an existing middle school, and another new elementary school.

At this week’s work session, the School Board discussed a potential scenario to open the high school seats at the Career Center in 2024. Under this plan, the FY 2019-28 CIP would include design funds for the Career Center, allowing time for the Career Center Working Group to finalize its recommendations, which are due in August, and for a separate process to address the instructional focus for the Career Center. This work could continue to inform the next CIP process for the 2020 bond referendum.

The School Board will share a draft of the APS CIP with the County Board at a joint work session on Tue, May 29, 6:30-8:30 p.m. The community can view the May 2 work session at aps2016.apsva.us/school-board-meetings/school-board-work-sessions-meetings/.

For more information on the CIP, visit aps2016.apsva.us/engage/cip_fy19-28/.