- February 11, 2026
Instead of a $21 million project to add 20 classrooms to Pine Ridge High School, the Volusia County School Board approved an amendment on Tuesday, Feb. 10, that will allow seven other projects — including two at Ormond Beach area schools — to move forward.
In May 2025, the School Board approved bonds to finance classroom additions in two schools: Pathways Elementary and Pine Ridge. While the Pathways project, which will add 11 classrooms, remains on track, the Pine Ridge project has been delayed, said George Smith, bound counsel for the School Board.
Rather than having the money sit, the IRS indicated to Volusia County Schools that the money should be used to finance other projects, Smith explained.
The district's facilities team identified the following projects to replace the classroom addition:
These projects have been in the district's to-do list.
"This will allow those to be accelerated, and you'll be able to use the funds that were intended for those, or that you would identify in the future, for your other projects," Smith said.
At the School Board meeting, the district also welcomed its new chief financial officer, Deidra Whittenberger.
Whittenberger replaced Todd Seis, who retired last month. He had been with VCS since 2022.
Whittenberger will start on Feb. 16, announced Superintendent Carmen Balgobin. She was promoted from her last position with the district as the director of budget. Whittenberger has been working for the district for almost eight years.
"I'm truly honored and grateful for the trust you have placed in me," she said. "Serving as the chief financial officer is a responsibility that I accept with humility and a strong commitment towards stewardship, transparency and the sound financial planning in support of our students and staff."
School Board member Krista Goodrich commended Whittenberger for taking on the chief financial officer role.
"It takes a tremendous amount of bravery," Goodrich said. "This is an extraordinarily important job. It's one that carries immense responsibility, intense scrutiny and very little public reward."
