ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 13, 1997 TAG: 9702130071
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BEDFORD
SOURCE: RICHARD FOSTER STAFF WRITER
Saying they're fed up with the School Board's asking for construction money for one project and spending it on another, some Bedford County supervisors are trying to take away the choice.
The School Board on Monday asked the supervisors for permission to secure $10 million in state Literary Fund loans and $3.5 million in Virginia Public School Authority bonds to build two elementary schools in the Forest and Staunton River areas.
But the supervisors declined; with a 4-3 vote, they said school officials should instead finish the expansions at Stewartsville and Moneta elementary schools for which they borrowed last year, then spent the money on other projects.
The supervisors passed a resolution recommending the School Board request Literary Funds - which, unlike VPSA bonds, require the School Board to own property and have plans drawn up - for the unfinished projects. The estimated cost is about $4 million.
"Finally, there'll be a legitimate blueprint laid in front of this board, saying this is what we intend to build," Supervisor Dale Wheeler said.
The supervisors voted last year to borrow $6 million in VPSA bonds - about $3.7 million of which was for improvements at Stewartsville and Moneta. So far, $4 million has been spent, but none of it on those two schools.
"Last year, $6 million was put out there in good faith and very little of this has been accomplished," Supervisor Roger Cheek said. ``And quite frankly, I'm not favoring any VPSA bonds.'' VPSA bonds also carry higher interest - 5.5 percent, compared with 3 percent on Literary Fund loans. The Literary Fund loans, however, are limited to $5 million per project.
School Superintendent John Kent said about $450,000 of last year's bond money was spent on emergency roof replacements at Thaxton Elementary and Staunton River High School. He also said the School Board spent some bond money on other projects because it put a hold on expansion plans at Stewartsville and Moneta in favor of adding another elementary school in the area.
Wheeler said he doesn't fault Kent for making the emergency repairs, but suggested that the county start a fund for such school repairs so it doesn't have to use expensive long-term debt for them. Wheeler also thinks that the county could save money if it expands at Stewartsville and Moneta, instead of building a new school.
Kent said it's the School Board's decision on which schools to build or expand, not the Board of Supervisors'. "If you want to take it to the nth degree, I guess the School Board could take the Board of Supervisors to Circuit Court," he said, adding that the new schools are a necessity.
"If you have to complete a project before you ask for a new one, you can't keep up" with growth, Kent said. "We have 36 mobile classrooms now. If you wait two years to build these two new elementary schools, we'll probably double that number."
Supervisors Lucille Boggess, Bob Bashore and Tony Ware voted against the proposal, favoring building the new schools.
"If we don't want to provide places to educate our children, then I would urge us to speak to our Planning Commission and let's put a fence around the county," Ware suggested facetiously. "Let's put things in place that will stop the growth in the county. Then we'll not need places to educate our children."
LENGTH: Medium: 66 linesby CNB