A conversation regarding funding to replace the artificial turf field at King George High School turned contentious Tuesday night.
The debate took place during King George County Superintendent Jesse Boyd’s presentation to the board of supervisors.
The turf field costs $809,560, and the board was weighing whether to grant the contract to Hellas Construction, one of four companies to submit bids.
Supervisor T.C. Collins, who did not run for re-election and is being replaced by Bryan Metts at the start of the new year, accused the school division of “shenanigans” because Boyd disagreed with his assertion that the school division should use up to 80% of its $500,000 activities budget to help fund the installation.
Collins said that the county shouldn’t foot the entire bill for the project, which was in the school division’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).
While board members carefully considered Collins’ idea, they ultimately decided 4-1 to award the contract to Hellas and fund the project in its entirety, with Collins casting the lone dissenting vote.
“You’re painting a public picture online for people to see that we’re the bad guys. I don’t like that picture,” Collins said to Boyd. “Let’s talk about real life. Real life is every year, for the 19th time, there is $500,000 extra money in the activity fund … Why wouldn’t you want to invest in the children, $400,000 for the school’s half of the field? Why wouldn’t you want to do that?”
Boyd explained to the board that the activity fund is spread across all sports as well as clubs such as Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA). He said there are a total of 50 budget lines from different sports and activities.
Boyd said it would be unfair to request that those club sponsors be required to transfer funds they’ve raised to fund a CIP project such as replacement of the turf field, which was first installed in 2012.
Boyd said if that was the expectation up front, it may have been a more realistic request.
“We’ve approved this through the CIP process and now that we’re working toward approval in the 11th hour, you’re asking me to turn to those that give extra time and effort, the teachers and advisors, for these clubs and organizations, that they’re raising money for, and you’re asking me to look at them and say, ‘Hey, all of that money that you raised for all of the wonderful things you do for our students, I need to take that from you because what was approved six months ago is now going to be on your tab.’”
Collins told Boyd he was “spinning the story,” to paint the board in an unfavorable light. But Supervisor Cathy Binder of the Shiloh District, said as a former high school cross country coach, her program’s supporters would’ve been dismayed if they had to pay for a major school division project out of funds they raised.
Binder also noted that programs such as theatre have a litany of expenses and some provide scholarships to seniors at the end of the school year.
“So, I just can’t take from the people that raised money for specific reasons and now say to them, ‘You don’t get to give those scholarships because now we’re going to take from that fund,'” Binder said. “As someone who experienced it, I can’t do that.”
Binder initially proposed having an auditor review the activities fund, but Boyd said the school division already does that through the same process as county audits. Collins said those audits are insufficient, and Boyd agreed to more detailed audits if required.
Board Chair William Davis of the Dahlgren District suggested that students and advisors in clubs should prepare to donate a portion of the funds they raise to support future upgrades to the turf field since the entire school benefits from the stadium facility.
“Maybe they should add to their raising list,” Davis said.
Boyd quickly rebuffed Davis’s idea. He said it’s unfair to expect students and staff to provide time and labor for a project that should be supported by county funds.
“There’s probably no other arrangement in our county, in any other department through the CIP process where we’re asking other employees, and most certainly not children, to raise money for a facility that they’re using,” Boyd said.
Binder made a motion that included the board paying the entire cost. Collins attempted to interject a substitute motion requiring half to come out of the high school’s activity fund, but no one seconded the motion.
Collins said after the conversation with Boyd, he regrets providing up to $2 million in reversion funds to the division earlier this year so it could cover costs for a state-mandated math program, graduation and other expenses.
“Maybe when you asked for the $1.6, $2 million back, we should’ve said, ‘No, we’re going to save it for the turf field or any other thing that you might want to do in the future,’” Collins said.
