Caroline County School Board Meeting October 19th 2026

The Caroline County Public Schools School Board meeting on October 19, 2026, included significant discussion of facilities and budget needs. Members and administrators urged the Board of Supervisors to reappropriate approximately $983,000 in school year-end funds for modular classroom units at Lewis and Clark Elementary, citing current overcrowding, rising steel prices, and longer manufacturing timelines. The request remained unresolved, and board members called for further discussions with county officials. A parent described cramped conditions for students with special needs, and also raised safety concerns about school parking and pickup traffic. No construction contract or bid was awarded at this meeting. The board also reviewed a clean FY2025 audit and began planning the FY2028 operating and capital improvement budgets; staff flagged sharply higher diesel costs as a budget pressure.

The board heard that the planned regional Project Search partnership would have about 10 shared student slots and an approximately $18,000 certification cost divided among three school divisions, with a full-time teacher and paraprofessional also needed. On compensation, the board adopted Option 3, increasing member compensation by $1,000 across the three positions, with an estimated annual budget impact of $5,383 including FICA; a motion to leave compensation unchanged had failed. The board also approved policies and supported Vice Chair Allison Sears’s nomination for an Eastern Region VSBA position.