|
The Roanoke Times
http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/wb/126495
Montgomery boards talk new schools
A deciding factor on
what gets built first will hinge on property acquisition.
Paul Dellinger
CHRISTIANSBURG -- The
Montgomery County supervisors and school board
agreed at a joint meeting Tuesday night that the order in which new schools can
be built will depend largely on how soon land can be acquired for them.
The plan: The board
of supervisors will identify construction dollars available through future bond
issues, and the school board will decide on what school projects will get that
funding.
Last year, county
officials estimated the cost of all needed capital projects over the next five
years, including schools, would be nearly $202 million and require a 27-cent
increase in the real estate tax rate.
They prioritized the
needs and got the total down to $130 million, including $31.1 million for
county projects and $98.9 million for schools. The projected real estate tax
rate increase to cover that is 14 cents.
In December, the
supervisors agreed to consider providing $98.9 million for the school work over
the next five years, subject to consultation with the school board. Now, the
school board must come up with the projects.
"The big thing
is we need to own the property," said Assistant County
Administrator Carol Edmonds.
The current plan is
for the county to obtain land for new Elliston/Lafayette and Price's Fork
elementary schools by the end of this year, and decide on new schools and
dollars by February. A financing plan would be in place by March and bonds
issued to cover them in May. County officials are in the process of buying a
piece of the historic Fotheringay estate for the Elliston school.
Other planned capital
projects would include school projects in Riner and Christiansburg and the
air-conditioning of existing schools. If land could not be acquired for one of
the early school projects, another might be moved up in the timing.
"We're going to
let you know everything we know when we know it," school board member
David Dunkenberger told the supervisors.
Supervisor Gary Creed
worried that construction costs might escalate significantly if the first two
school projects don't start soon. "I think the first one needs to be
started tomorrow and I think the next one needs to be started on the following
day," he said. "Don't overspend your budget ... Err on the side of
caution."
School board
Chairwoman Penny Franklin agreed about the rising costs. Even if the land was
acquired and two schools were built in record time, she said, "there are
things that are outside of our control."
Supervisors Chairman
Steve Spradlin said his expectations are high, and he said he hopes the two
boards can finalize an official agreement on school projects by the end of the
year.
Dunkenberger and
Supervisor Doug Marrs said they believe the spirit of cooperation and trust
between the two boards at this point, and time will help them come to an
agreement.
But several
supervisors noted that the projects will mean a huge expenditure of taxpayer
dollars and wanted continued joint meetings to be kept up to date to answer
questions about progress from constituents.
|
