A lawsuit filed by former Superintendent Mark Taylor is still making its way through the court system.
School board member and Del.-Elect Nicole Cole (D-Spotsylvania) remains embroiled in a legal battle with fellow board members Lisa Phelps and April Gillespie, alleging malicious prosecution.
The father of a disabled elementary school student is planning to sue the school division after his child was one of several molested on a school bus in 2024.
These are just a few of the legal issues plaguing Spotsylvania County Public Schools, which is why Director of Organizational Compliance Dennis Martin said during a Monday school board work session that the division needs a permanent legal staff, including full-time division counsel, a full-time internal investigator, two full-time paralegals, and an administrative assistant focused on legal matters.
Martin made his statement during a presentation on the fiscal year 2027 budget.
“Even though we contract to get some of the technical assistance that we need for this, I think to make sure we are putting ourselves in the best legal position possible, I think that it would be of interest to the board and would be very helpful [to] provide [these full-time positions],” Martin said. “I think this would give us a basic framework of support that would enable us to meet the collective needs that we are responsible for.”
Martin added that having a robust legal team would assist with board governance and provide training for school-level administrators.
“I think right now, we just do not have the capacity, said Martin, “the individuals to really provide the technical assistance and training that all of our [principals, administrators and school board] need… to maximize the support and make sure we are in the best position possible when there are allegations of not adhering to any of the state laws, federal laws, or regulations that we are responsible for implementing.”
Carol Medawar, the school board member representing the Courtland District, said the request would be easier to process with a price tag attached. Martin and Chief Financial Officer Phillip Trayer did not specify the exact cost.
But Trayer said the positions would pay for themselves.
“We certainly have day-to-day [legal] needs,” Trayer said. “To have somebody right down the hall that [Superintendent Clint Mitchell] can come to and discuss staffing issues, daily issues, legal issues that he faces every day, certainly would be beneficial to the operation of the school division.”
The work session was the third preliminary gathering to discuss the FY27 budget before Mitchell gives a formal presentation on Jan. 20.
The school and county administrations met in September to gain an understanding of each other’s position on the upcoming budget. Last week, the chair and vice chair of the school board and the board of supervisors met for a two-on-two discussion.
“Much like last year, both boards are making time in the early stages of budget formation to ensure the needs of both sides are understood and considered during formation,” Trayer said. “Our budget needs remain complex. Our per-pupil staffing levels remain at some of the highest levels in the state, and program capacity continues to limit our ability to expand classrooms. That said, we still feel very fortunate to continue to have the positive dialogue with the county administration and the board of supervisors during this year’s budget season.”
Trayer said the school division will continue to work with the county on “long-term, incremental solutions” to fill the gap of more than $46 million from FY25. The county provided $11.7 million in additional operational funding in FY26. Trayer warned county residents that not every year will be as fruitful for the school division.
“But that does not mean progress is not being made,” he said. “County contributions will most likely ebb and flow, but to our staff and public, rest assured, a trust has been re-established between our two boards and administrative teams, and we’re both working together to further support the foundation of our school system.”
Trayer noted that the release of the state budget in December will provide a clearer picture of the local funding needs. The state’s Local Composite Index (LCI) formula provides a guideline for how much a locality is able to contribute to public education.
Spotsylvania’s LCI increased by 4.5 points to 37.83%, so the state will provide 62.17% of the division’s Standards of Quality (SOQ) needs. Trayer said with high-value projects like data centers and Kalahari Resorts and Conventions coming onboard in the upcoming years, Spotsylvania’s LCI will further increase, and the division will require more local funding.
“A 4.5 increase in the composite index represents a state funding loss of roughly $15.5 million a year, every year going forward,” Trayer said.
That sobering news comes as the division witnessed a 17% increase in special-needs students over the past five years to 4,022 total. SCPS is also looking to expand its CTE offerings. Sue Venable Shelton, SCPS’ CTE supervisor, said the division had to turn away 618 applicants for the Career and Technical Center, even though it had expanded its capacity to 892 students, an addition of 84 seats.
“Students are selecting CTE electives at a rate that shows confidence in these pathways and programs,” Shelton said.
