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What is this?
On November 2, 2021, the city of Danville adopted a 1% Sales Tax Referendum. Danville Public Schools will now be able to invest dollars from this sales tax, which is expected to generate $141 million in revenue over the next 20 years, in learning environments that are designed to help every student achieve, with a focus on 21st century upgrades, increased technology access, and eliminating the need for trailer classrooms at the elementary level, among others. With a majority of schools constructed prior to 1955, we hope that these renovations will allow our students to come to school with a renewed sense of pride and excitement for many years to come, as our Danville residents not only voted to invest in the futures of our current students, but several generations of students to follow.
Check back here to see updates concerning these projects. We thank you for your support!
Projects
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With funds for capital improvements, our school facilities will reflect the progress seen throughout the City of Danville, as well as offer updated 21st-century school buildings for today’s teachers and students.
The following highlights the planned improvements to be covered by the 1% sales tax increase.
George Washington High School: Built 1955
- Renovate Classrooms to provide increased space along with infrastructure updates to boost access to technology.
- Expand the library with added collaboration spaces.
- Added STEM Academy
- Improvements and renovations to the Vocational Education and Career Technology Classes that will include increased access to robotics and cyber security classes, a nursing lab, culinary arts and hospitality space, and skilled trades courses.
Langston School: Built 1957
- Renovate the campus to allow Galileo Magnet School to be relocated
- Renovations to allow for the expansion of adult education offerings at the facility
- Refurbish the walking track with enhanced access for the community
- Campus renovations will also allow the Central Office to be relocated from their rented space on Main Street to Langston's campus
Elementary School Improvements- Renovate Elementary Schools to eliminate the need for all trailer classrooms
- Classroom renovations to expand access to technology and encourage STEM education.
- Improved access for buses and car riders
Renderings
Project Status Updates
Costs
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April 2022 - Bonds sold for $127 Million
Updates
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- January 27, 2022 - the Guidelines for Implementation of the Public-Private Education Facilities & Infrastructure Act (PPEA) were discussed during a school board meeting. Click here to view the PPEA document.
- March 2022 - Groundbreaking ceremonies held at George Washington High School and John M. Langston campuses.
- April 21, 2022 - The School Board approved MBP Construction Management to provide construction management services for the Langston & GW renovation projects. The board also approved a resolution to accept an unsolicited proposal under the Public Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act (PPEA) for the renovation projects at GWHS and G.L.H. Johnson Elementary School. The passed resolution allowed the board to post the proposal and advertise for competing proposals for 45 days.
- May 19, 2022 - The school board approved Dewberry to provide A & E Services for Langston's campus (RFP-2022-487).
- July 14, 2022 - The school board approved Dr. Hairston’s recommendation that the School Board select the unsolicited proposal from English Construction, Blair Construction, and RRMM Architects to proceed to the detail phase for renovations to George Washington High School. The board also approved Dr. Hairston’s recommendation that the School Board select the competing proposal from Branch Builds, Moseley Architects, and Dewberry to proceed to the detail phase for a newly constructed Johnson Elementary School. These recommendations were made in accordance with The Public-Private Education Facilities & Infrastructure Act of 2002 (§ 56-575.1 et seq.) and DPS’ Guidelines for Implementation of The Public-Private Education Facilities & Infrastructure Act of 2002 The board also approved an amendment to the MBP Construction Management contract to include the management of the Johnson Elementary School project.
- September 15, 2022 - The school board approves an Interim Agreement with English Construction for renovations to GWHS and an Interim Agreement with Branch Builds for a newly constructed Johnson Elementary School. Resolutions signed on September 22.
- January 5, 2023 - School board adopts a resolution authorizing the superintendent to sign the Comprehensive Agreement with English Construction for renovations at GWHS.
- January 17, 2023 - Danville City Council approves and authorizes the Comprehensive Agreement between the Danville School Board and English Construction for renovations at GWHS.
- February 2023 - Renovation preparation begins on GWHS campus for the expected April start.
- February 16, 2023 - School board adopts a resolution authorizing the superintendent to sign the Comprehensive Agreement with Branch Builds for a newly constructed Johnson Elementary School.
FAQ
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Will this cover other expenses like utilities, teacher salaries, supplies, and the like?
No. By law, this revenue can be used to pay for school construction or renovation. No other expenses.
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Will this tax last forever?
No. The tax will end after 20 years or when the debt used to finance construction or renovation is paid off.
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What items will not be taxed under this increase?
Medication and Groceries.
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Who will pay this tax?
This tax will be applied to any person that purchases retail goods in the City of Danville. This includes online sales from sites such as Amazon.com. We know that a sales tax increase is not ideal but it’s the best option we have, and we need to use it. On the plus side, visitors coming through our area and to our area for local events that eat at our restaurants, buy gas, and shop locally will contribute to this fund as well.
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Why do the schools need more space when we constantly hear that enrollment is dropping?
Nine out of 14 DPS schools were built prior to 1959. While there have been renovations over the past 20 years, there have been no large-scale additions or significant renovations that have moved the facilities from the 1950s to the 2000s. Also, upgrades and additions are planned for our Career/Technical Education and Vocational facilities, athletics, and spaces that are open to community use.
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Why can’t the casino money the city received cover these repairs?
While the City of Danville did receive a sizable sum from the casino project, there are many needs in our community. The City worked with an advisory group setting priorities for spending and hosting listening sessions throughout the community. The number one need that arose was to invest in education followed closely by infrastructure. These are only two priorities out of many that were identified. DPS needs its own revenue stream over the next 20 years that is designated specifically for school improvements and renovations to make all the changes that need to be made. While the City of Danville must request that the ballot initiatives are put to a vote, the ultimate decision for how to spend this revenue will come from the community listening sessions DPS has hosted, school administrators and the school board. By law, this revenue can only be used for school construction projects and renovations. No utilities, no salaries, no supplies, and no extras. This bond referendum can’t cover everything. So, it would also be great to have that casino money to meet other needs, such as programming, training, supplies, and other activities within the schools and after school.
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Can these improvements wait until the casino starts generating taxes for the city?
School building conditions are clear indicators of investment or underinvestment in education by the locality. Our existing facilities in Danville are not equipped to provide students with the best atmosphere possible or teachers with the tools and resources they need to teach modern concepts. By the time the casino starts generating revenue for the city, which could be as late as 2024, our schools will have fallen further behind and need more costly repairs.
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Why can’t we use the millions of dollars in COVID relief that was received from the federal government?
Those funds are earmarked for improvements that increase the safety of staff and students as they return to in-person learning. These are projects such as technology upgrades, new HVAC systems, replacing carpeted areas with tile, window repairs, and other pandemic-related needs. While we will use these funds to address immediate needs, we’d much rather renovate and build out better facilities than making marginal improvements on older structures. These funds also aren’t enough to help with the estimated $194M in facility improvements needed.
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Can Danville City Council vote later to direct the funds elsewhere?
No. The law requires the funds to be spent on construction or renovation and the ultimate decision for how to spend this revenue come from the community listening sessions DPS has hosted, school administrators, and the school board to meet those needs.
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Were any other funding options explored? Grants? State funds? Federal funds?
Funding options are always being considered. Unfortunately, the amount of funding available for construction or renovation is limited. The Virginia General Assembly allows referendums because of this gap.
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Can't the city just issue bonds for renovations? Why not just do that?
The city can issue bonds but they can only issue $6 million in general obligation bonds each year (or $12 million every two years) without going to the public with a referendum. Anything more than the $6 million per year requires voter approval and a budgeted revenue source to make the related debt service payments. So – the City could have sought the public’s approval for a large bond issuance this fall without the 1% sales tax option, but they would eventually have to follow that up with a real estate and/or personal property tax rate increase in order to make the debt payments.
