On Tuesday, Orange County Supervisors approved the borrowing of $20.8 million to finance the construction of the county’s new career and technical education center.
In March, the Orange County School Board entered into an interim agreement with Gilbane, a Richmond-based firm which is collaborating with RRMM Architects and Timmons Group on the CTE center project. In November 2025, the board accepted a proposal from the firm as part of the Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act of 2022 (PPEA). The act allows localities to work with the private sector to complete major projects such as the construction of new schools or education facilities. It’s an alternative to the typical procurement process and allows for more creative and innovative financing options. The school board implemented the act in August 2025. The county already had a PPEA process in place though it hasn’t been utilized.
The final center is supposed to take into account the school division’s needs including one nursing classroom and lab space; one culinary arts classroom and lab space with a teaching kitchen; two agricultural classrooms and two labs including an outdoor covered work area and a welding lab; a carpentry and masonry classroom with lab scape accommodating both programs and an outdoor covered work area; an HVAC and plumbing classroom with a lab space accommodating both programs with an outdoor covered work area; an electrical classroom with a lab space with an outdoor covered work area; an automotive classroom with an outdoor covered work area and at least two bays; one technical education classroom with a lab space; one cybersecurity lab space; one computer science classroom; one robotics lab space and areas for an administrative office, reception area and teacher work space. The building should be approximately 35,000 square feet.
Renderings released in April included dedicated space for the culinary program, building trades, metal fabrication and welding, health professions, automotive, cyber security, technical education and agriculture.
To finance the project, the county entered into a competitive bidding process to obtain a direct bank loan through a lease revenue bond issued by the Economic Development Authority, a common structure that is utilized by localities. Of the five proposals received, Atlantic Union Bank offered the most competitive with a fixed interest rate of 4.45% over 20 years. The county is expected to pay approximately $11.7 million in debt service over the life of the loan, $159,317 less than originally anticipated. The debt service payments have already been factored into future county budgets. That number could also decrease should the county pre-pay the loan or refinance it. The terms allow for both without penalty.
County administrator Glenda Paul said the new debt is a bit of a stretch given the county’s revenues, but is achievable. Financial advisors with Davenport agreed, stating the county would remain in compliance with all financial policies and while yes, the loan is over 20 years, it would yield a long-term asset in the center that will be enjoyed by taxpayers for years to come.
“This will allow our career and technical education programs to grow,” District 4 Supervisor Crystal Coleman said. “This is a great service to our children and students, but also to our economy. When we help create students coming out of school with skills we can hope they’ll find work here and we’ll have skilled workers in this community.”
Orange County Public Schools will host a groundbreaking ceremony for the new center Monday, July 20 at 9 a.m. at Orange County High School.
For more information about the project, visit https://www.ocss-va.org/departments/facilities-maintenance/capital-projects/ctefacility.
