(Halifax County, VA) – In a 6 to 2 vote the Halifax County Board of Supervisors approved borrowing $135 million for school improvement projects across the county.  The largest piece of that pie will be $105 million allotted for building a new high school.  Elementary school projects will be allocated $25 million with the remaining $5 million for contingencies.

According to the Gazette Virginian, the decision to borrow the $135 million in two borrowing notes with $100 million paid for with the 1% sales tax and $35 million paid for using the county’s debt service came at a 6-to-2 vote with supervisors Dean Throckmorton and Ricky Short voting in opposition.

County administrator Scott Simpson informed the board that the school system has $4million in ESSER funding that would bring the budget for the new high school to $109 million.  The site of the new school would be along middle school road in South Boston adjacent the current complex housing both Halifax County High School and the middle school.  If the Halifax County School Board chooses to use a different site than what the board appropriated for purchase the land would be reverted back to county property.