At a joint meeting on Oct. 16, members of the Lexington City Council and Lexington School Board reviewed the information they currently have about the proposed recreation center near Rockbridge County High School, and discussed how it could affect the city’s share of high school capital costs.
Lexington Superintendent Rebecca Walters brought up the most recent updates to Rockbridge County Schools’ capital improvement plan (CIP), noting that while no new projects were identified for fiscal year 2026, she had learned of a recently proposed $790,000 project to replace stadium lights for the football field at Rockbridge County High School, in addition to the plan to replace baseball and softball field lights that is on the CIP for fiscal year 2027. Lexington’s 15.76% share of that expense would be about $124,500.
To Walters’ knowledge, the replacement is needed due to continuing operational issues with the current lights. She highlighted the fact, however, that it was not on the CIP approved by the Rockbridge County School Board on Oct. 14 — but that she’d wanted to “be very honest … this is our language, because we are anticipating that this project may be coming.”
Council and School Board members also discussed the broader capital plan for fiscal 2027, which still lists several previously planned high school improvements: the baseball and softball lights, a tennis court expansion, parking lot paving, new restrooms and concessions at the athletic fields and construction of auxiliary gyms and a field house. Those projects total over $10.6 million.
If the proposed recreation center plans move forward, however, it would likely replace those projects.
Walters said she was told by Rockbridge County Superintendent Phillip Thompson that the plan “incorporates the originally scheduled projects of the tennis court, the parking lot, the concessions and restroom, and the auxiliary gyms, which totaled $10,365,400,” Walters explained, “for a new project total of $12,000,999. Again, that’s the study cost, so they’ve not done any bids, they haven’t gotten a total in what the cost is actually going to be, but … I was told by Dr. Thompson that if that happened, these were the pieces that were incorporated.”
Walters emphasized that several questions remain unanswered — including whether the recreation center should be considered a Rockbridge County Public Schools project, a county government project, or a joint effort involving the Rockbridge Area Recreation Organization.
Responding to those questions, Lexington City Manager Tom Carroll said his current understanding, based on information he received from County Administrator Spencer Suter, is that the facility would be owned by Rockbridge County Public Schools and maintained by the division’s custodial and maintenance staff. “In all likelihood, the physical plant would be maintained by county school employees,” he said.
Carroll added that roughly 41% of the facility’s space is associated with school use, meaning Lexington would pay its proportional share of that portion under the existing regional capital formula. The remaining 59% would be community-use space, with operating costs still to be determined.
Walters noted that, under the current cost-sharing agreement, Lexington’s percentage share in the regional capital formula is expected to rise to around 17% by fiscal 2027, “based on the current trends at the moment.” Councilman David Sigler clarified that the city’s contribution to the project would be based on the year the county formally approves construction.
The discussion also touched on traffic and safety concerns on Greenhouse Road, where the recreation center would be built across from the high school. Officials suggested that additional safety measures such as crosswalk improvements, speed control, or even a raised pedestrian bridge may be needed to protect both students and young RARO participants who would be crossing the road for after-school programs.
“RARO serves our youngest students,” Sigler said. “There’s going to be cars there if there’s a softball or baseball game … So what we’re really anticipating are RARO participants that could include children of 5, 6, 10 years old, parking on the high school side of greenhouse road, and they will be crossing the road. I’m thinking about the participants at RARO that are trying to access this wonderful facility.”
With the proposed recreation center planned for the site of the existing tennis courts, questions remain about where new courts could be located. Council and Board members shared that they had heard that new locations were being looked at, but Walters said “I’ve heard nothing else up to date.”
The city and School Board agreed to continue monitoring the project as Rockbridge County officials and the school division decide whether and how to move forward with construction.
