When it meets Tuesday, the Montgomery County School Board will review a list of school building repair and upgrade needs that are recommended within the next two summers, costing an estimated $4 million.
Board members also will get a report on trends as to why employees leave the school division, review a career and technical education grant proposal and vote on funding for an indoor golf center.
The board will convene a closed meeting at 5:30 p.m. to discuss student matters and personnel. The regular meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the school board office, conference rooms A/B, 750 Imperial St., Christiansburg.
Building needs are ranked, costs are estimated
A report will detail projects that are recommended to take place mostly within summer 2026 and summer 2027. The needs are ranked 1 to 10 in urgency, 10 being the highest priority.
The report identifies projects with an estimated cost of nearly $4.04 million. Those recommended to take place this summer could cost nearly $626,800. Those recommended to take place during the summer of 2027 are estimated at about $3.41 million.
The projects, starting with the highest urgency ranking, are:
— Kipps Elementary School: Replace gutters and downspouts that are in poor shape, replace a canopy damaged by an ice storm and repair brick facades that pose a safety risk. The estimated cost is $345,000. The project could take place this summer. The ranking is 10.
— Auburn High School and Prices Fork Elementary: Add guardrail at the top of the high school retaining wall; replace railing at the elementary school loading dock. The estimated cost is $11,500. The project could take place this summer. The ranking is 10.
— Shawsville Middle School: Replace water heaters, replace exterior concrete stairs, upgrade existing panelboards and switch gear. The estimated cost is nearly $2.05 million. The target time frame is summer 2027. The ranking is 9.
— Christiansburg High and Eastern Montgomery High: Replace the tennis courts, both of which are in disrepair. The estimated costs are about $535,000 at Christiansburg and about $598,000 at Eastern Montgomery. The target time frame is summer 2027. The ranking is 8.
— Gilbert Linkous Elementary: Replace the handicapped ramp from the main building to the annex. It is in disrepair and a possible tripping hazard. The estimated cost is $115,000. The work could be done this summer. The ranking is 8.
— Montgomery Central: Replace or remove the stairs from the street to the building. They are in poor condition and do not meet building code standards. One option is to replace them for $230,000. Another option is to remove them and reseed the area for $30,000. The time frame will depend on the choice of action. The ranking is 5.
— Auburn Elementary: Replace the generator. The estimated cost is $69,000. The work could be done this summer. The ranking is 5.
— Eastern Montgomery High: Replace the toilet partitions. The estimated cost is $57,500. The work could be done this summer. The ranking is 4.
— Christiansburg Middle: Replace the gym curtain divider. The estimated cost is $28,750. The work could be done this summer. The ranking is 4.
Employee exit rates are on the decline
The board will get a report on trends of employees leaving the school division.
It notes that in the 2022-23 school year, there were 284 exits, including 33 retirements and 251 departures for other reasons; in 2023-24, there were 243 exits, including 31 retirements and 212 others; in 2024-25, there were 230 exits, including 26 retirements and 204 others.
As of March 16, there have been 89 exits, including four retirements and 85 others.
Exit rates are steadily declining, according to the report, suggesting improving workforce stability following recent staffing challenges. This points to ongoing recovery from post-COVID pandemic disruptions, it states.
Employee exit surveys from 2021 to 2025 indicate that among certified workers, along with moves to other school districts, departing employees repeatedly flagged “supervisory and workload issues — especially in special education.” Among classified workers, many departures were retirements or moves to non-education jobs, driven by pay and schedules.
The report says there is no significant or consistent increase in exits among minority groups.
Recommended actions include: Focusing on special education and high-need areas; maintaining current teacher initiatives; analyzing the reasons why employees leave; and monitoring equity trends.
Career, technical education grant funds are sought
The board will review the division’s upcoming application for federal Perkins Act career and technical education grant funding.
The Virginia Department of Education has not yet released a 2026-27 grant allocation funding amount. The Montgomery County application includes the 2025-26 amount of nearly $174,700, representing more than $147,200 for equipment; $16,000 for professional development for teachers, administrators and counselors; and more than $11,400 for student industry certification tests.
Industry credential testing by county schools covers options including welding, unmanned aircraft systems, residential building inspector examinations, metalworking, pharmacy technician, automotive service, Microsoft Office specialist, ServSafe food protection manager, Adobe certified professional examinations, ParaPro testing for public school paraprofessionals, CompTIA certification for technology careers, Workplace Readiness Skills for the Commonwealth, National Career Readiness certificates, cosmetology licensure and certified nurse aide licensure.
Golf facility is up for funding
The board will consider a supplemental appropriation of $62,700 from the Petrone Endowment to install a golf simulator center at Auburn High, “serving as the flagship for year-round golf instruction,” according to a presentation document.
You can find meeting documents at https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/mcps/Board.nsf/Public.
