CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – With Election Day fast approaching, Charlottesville and Albemarle County officials, as well as education organizations, are continuing their efforts to encourage voters to support a ballot referendum to institute an up-to-1% sales tax to pay for capital projects for the construction and renovation of area schools. 

“People do what they can,” said Annie Suttle, a parent and advocate with the Yes for Charlottesville Schools campaign. “It’s important for people who are able to and comfortable to step up and go to bat for the whole community, the students, and teachers in the schools.”

Democrats in Richmond passed state legislation on July 1 to allow localities to put the referendum before voters.

Charlottesville City Council approved the measure to add the referendum to the ballot on July 20 and held a joint work session that month with the Charlottesville School Board to detail eight projects that the revenue gained by the tax would help pay for. 

Council and the Board have been collaborating before the legislation to determine a list of projects for remodeling when and if the ability to ask for the tax would be obtained.  The goal was to ensure that when the chance came to ask the community for their help, the plan would be clear and realistic. 

“We have elementary schools without cafeterias,” Suttle said. “Especially when you can look around in the shadow of the gorgeous UVA structures, and private schools ringing and dotting our city, we can do better.”

In the county, a string of arrests and scandals has complicated the referendum effort. A Hollymead Elementary staffer, Michael Swiney, was arrested in June on charges of sexually assaulting students. Earlier this month, two division administrators and a former principal were charged with failing to meet mandated reporting requirements for incidents of abuse.

Phil Riese, chairman of the Albemarle County Republican Party, said he supports the schools but opposes the referendum question.

“The schools should be a non-partisan issue,” Riese told Cville Right Now.   “I think we all want our schools to do well. We all want the facilities that our children learn in to be good facilities.  … Are we willing to give this school board another $20-25 million to spend? I don’t think this community trusts this school board at all with what’s been going on.” 

That’s a stance that the Albemarle County Public Schools Family Council is pushing back against. In a Saturday email to voters, the council urged people not to conflate their frustration with current school officials with their decision on the referendum.

“Family Council has heard from voters who supports public schools and voted NO. They’re angry at ACPS,” the email said. “We get it. Together, we will all keep pushing the district on accountability. But this vote pays for the buildings our kids walk into every morning.”

The total amount of funds the sales tax could raise, Charlottesville School Board member Chris Meyer explained, would be about $240 million, and the money would be systematically applied at toward a given project at a rate of $12 million over 12 years. As it is not realistic to complete all eight projects at once, the city will choose four projects and begin the planning process.

Meyer shared the order of priority in which the projects would be completed. The Walker Pre-K center would start construction early next year and be completed in three years. Charlottesville High School would be given more space through renovations. Jackson-Via Elementary would be remodeled, and Greenbriar Elementary would follow. 

“There is a strategy here where we prioritize the biggest needs that can fit the funding schedule,” Meyer told Cville Right Now.

Meyer said that the common goal of many of these projects is a desire to modernize facilities that were built many decades ago. 

“They don’t have a lot of natural light, they are showing their age, and these facilities were designed to last 50-60 years,” Meyer said. “We’ve been thinking about with how we utilize all our facilities when we remodel.” 

To Meyer, the recently completed renovations at Charlottesville Middle School and Walker Upper Elementary are an example for how the sales tax funding could be used. 

“The building demonstrates the investment and belief the community has in them,” Meyer says. “It’s showing students that we have faith in them we want them to go do great things and have pride in going to our schools here.” 

Suttle echoed Meyer’s sentiment, having seen the students of CMS give the prospective tours of the facilities. 

“They’re proud of their school, and that is an amazing feeling,” she said. “Especially when (we) have a ton of students who don’t go home to places like that.”

For both the School Board and those advocating for funds for the renovations, getting information to voters about the referendum has been a priority. They haven’t just educated residents about the ballot question, but how the funds would be used.

“When people walk into vote, (the voters) need to know that the city schools have a clear plan on how to use the money,” Suttle said.