District overview
Caroline County Public Schools
Funding structure, how it compares to peers, and where major projects stand.
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Why are Caroline's elementary schools so crowded, and who pays to fix it?
Caroline County Public Schools serves about 4,300 students in Caroline County, Virginia, at Bowling Green, Lewis and Clark and Madison elementary schools, Caroline Middle and Caroline High. Each of the six school board members is elected from a district. The board adopts the budget, but it cannot raise taxes: most local money comes from the county Board of Supervisors. New housing is filling Lewis and Clark Elementary faster than space can be added. Caroline's local funding per student is among the lowest in Virginia.
Over capacity
Lewis and Clark Elementary has about 1,039 students in a building made for 919. Modular classrooms are waiting on county approval of leftover FY25 money.
Low local funding
In FY25 the county put in $4,292 per student, ranking 112th of 132 divisions. The state average is $9,297.
State grants
In August 2026 the state awarded about $14.7 million toward a new elementary school and repairs at Caroline Middle and Madison Elementary.
Sales tax idea
The board asked the supervisors to put a 1% sales tax for school construction to voters. It could raise about $5 million a year.
Total enrollment fell short of the budget in 2025-26, even as Lewis and Clark grew. Every school is fully accredited, and Caroline High was rated distinguished.
Where the district stands
Major projects
Modular classrooms at Lewis and Clark Elementary
Waiting on county fundingThe district asked the supervisors in November 2025 to give back about $847,000 in FY25 leftover money toward about $1.1 million in modular classrooms. As of October 2026 the money had not been released, and the earliest finish date is late April or May 2027.
- Board asks county to reappropriate FY25 carryover
- Facilities town halls
- Enrollment at 1,039, 120 over capacity
- Funds still not released; finish pushed to spring 2027
Funding
FY25 carryover (requested)
Estimate given November 10, 2025.
New elementary school and school renovations (state SCAP grants)
Grants awarded August 2026The state awarded $9.85 million toward a new elementary school, $3.11 million for Caroline Middle and $1.77 million for Madison Elementary. The school board and supervisors must accept the money in a joint meeting.
- Grant overview to board
- State approves all three grants
- Grants reported to board
Funding
Virginia School Construction Assistance Program
Local share not yet set.
1% sales tax for school construction
Requested; ballot date not confirmedThe board voted 6-0 in July 2026 to ask the supervisors for a referendum on a 1% local sales tax for school construction.
- Board discusses new state law
- Board resolution 6-0
- Timing still under discussion
Funding
Local sales tax (if approved)
Estimated yearly revenue.
Recent news
We read the auto-generated captions of 12 school board meeting videos from November 2025 to October 2026 on the district's YouTube channel, along with an April 2026 facilities town hall. We also read the FY27 adopted budget documents and the 2026-27 Code of Student Conduct from the district website. The district's agendas and minutes are on BoardDocs, which this site cannot store.
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