Author: Rick Horner

A 181-acre parcel of land deemed unfit to build a school could soon belong to the Stafford County Board of Supervisors.

County leaders plan to sell the land located at 135 Clift Farm Road in the Falmouth District. The parcel is listed at $1.3 million. However, according to county documents, that price does not reflect the current market value, making a reevaluation necessary.

According to the county's property records, the land cost was $4.8 million when the school board purchased the tract in 2006.

In their documentation, the county estimates that selling the property would provide funds to reduce future borrowing.

The county School Board purchased the Clift Farm property in December 2006 to build a high school. Over the years, the county's population has blossomed to more than 150,000 people, increasing the need for new school buildings.

According to county documents, due to a lack of infrastructure, including roads, water, and sewer, the property is inappropriate for the needs of a new school. The parcel is also located in the flight path for the Stafford County Regional Airport.

On November 16, the county Board of Supervisors asked the School Board to convey the parcel to the to the county government, after the School Board has decided to deem the land as surplus. According to county documents, the plan uses the money from the parcel's sale to provide revenue for future school construction.

The School Board has yet to convey the land to the supervisors. 

The Stafford County School Board has long acknowledged the need for new schools to deal with the growing student population. The school board is currently moving forward with plans to build the county's sixth high school with a $150 million price tag, according to School Board documents from earlier this year.

The school will be located in the county's Hartwood District and will open by Spring 2025.

Information from the county also acknowledges the need for more schools at every level. This includes a new middle school, two new elementary schools, a seventh high school, and an early childhood education center, estimated to cost $200 million.

The county's seventh high school is projected to be part of the major projects listed in the school board's Fiscal Year 2023-2032 Capital Improvement Projects request. The school does not have an estimated price tag.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the Stafford School Board conveyed the property to the Stafford County Board of Supervisors, and that the property is listed on the Real Estate market.