The New Kent historic school renovation project is on hold.

Kent, New Due to financial problems, plans to convert New Kent's historic school from the 1930s into a community center and library have been shelved.

On the website of New Kent County, the remodeling of the school located at 11825 New Kent Highway was scheduled to start this spring.

The Board of Supervisors of Virginia's fastest-growing county is thinking of using the facility to accommodate the county government's expansion demands, thus the community center idea has been shelved.

To lessen a projected real estate tax hike in the budget for fiscal year 2025, the board is also considering a different proposal to construct a community center at Wahrani at the eastern part of the county.

Plans for the historic school, which include communal classrooms, a community library, and a performing arts component, were presented by Andrew Smolak of Moseley Architects in September.

On March 19, County Administrator Rodney Hathaway informed the board that the proposal was "way over budget."

"Should we pursue that route instead of building a community center since office space is actually what's needed?" he asked. "I've put a halt to that project while we decide what that building should be focused on."

According to him, the county has already borrowed $7 million to pay for the upgrades. The cost of the community center design is $13 million.

Board Chair Thomas Evelyn stated, "Space is an issue and that will be the quickest thing instead of a new $20–$30 million administration building." He proposed using the school's gym for community purposes.

The concept for the community center aimed to narrate the history of the former New Kent School, now known as the Historic School.

The 1968 case Green v. County School Board of New Kent, which is regarded as the most important desegregation decision the U.S. Supreme Court resolved after Brown v. Board of Education, is connected to New Kent School and the neighboring George W. Watkins School.

During the meeting on March 19, Hathaway argued in favor of the Wahrani community center concept.

"Yes, the eastern end needs a community center, but the eastern area also needs a voting precinct. There isn't one here. We now operate out of a location that is for lease. We won't have a place once that's leased up. Right now, I haven't been able to locate a good replacement spot in that precinct," he stated.