HENRY COUNTY, Va. (rbs news now) — The Henry County School Board has approved a series of investments in transportation, instructional materials, and learning environments, Henry County Public Schools announced in a May 19 news release.

A $147,245 contract was awarded to Vernon W. Peters and Sons of Ridgeway for comprehensive upgrades to the culinary arts kitchens at Bassett High School.

The project, funded through the FY2025 maintenance and operations budget, will deliver modern, industry-aligned kitchen facilities to better prepare students for careers in culinary arts, the release said.

The firm submitted the lowest bid of three solicited for the work.

The release said that as part of the school division’s ongoing bus replacement schedule, the board authorized the purchase of 14 new school buses to replace aging vehicles—many of which are more than two decades old and have logged over 300,000 miles.

The purchase, made through a state contract with Sonny Merryman Inc. of Rustburg, includes:

• Eight 65-passenger conventional buses at $131,849 each ($1,054,792 total)
• Four 24-passenger special education (SPED) buses with wheelchair ramps at $109,579 each ($438,316 total)
• Two 22-passenger SPED buses without ramps at $93,131 each ($186,262 total)

The $1.68 million investment will be funded from the FY2025 transportation budget.

The board also approved the adoption of new math textbooks across all grade levels.

Selection committees made up of educators from every school reviewed and recommended Virginia Department of Education (VDOE)-approved resources.

The goal is to ensure curriculum consistency and instructional rigor throughout the division, the release said.

The purchase, which will be funded through the FY2025 textbook budget, includes K–5 Math textbooks for $757,643.25 and grades 6–12 Math textbooks for $413,034.

The board approved the adoption of VDOE-approved high-quality instructional materials for K–5 reading.

Committees of teachers and specialists led the year-long evaluation process.

The materials, which will support standards-aligned instruction, will be purchased at a cost not to exceed $855,000, according to the release.

While the initiatives span different budget categories, school officials said that these investments highlight the value of potential unified funding.

Such flexibility, they said, would enhance the division’s ability to meet evolving student needs efficiently and without additional cost.

Any items requiring categorical budget transfers will now be submitted to the Henry County Board of Supervisors for final approval at their upcoming meeting.

Copyright 2025 by Romero Broadcasting System, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, rewritten, or redistributed.