THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 2, 1994 TAG: 9409300254
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 20 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
The School Board voted unanimously Monday night to approve an ambitious 10-year building plan that, if approved by City Council, would relieve crowding and sharply reduce the number of portable classrooms dotting school grounds citywide.
The plan would cost $213.6 million in the first five years, the bulk financed through bonds issued by the Virginia Public School Authority on Chesapeake's behalf.
Nearly half the money - $101.9 million - would be earmarked for spending over the next year.
That's more than previously projected. In early September, school officials proposed spending $89.8 million in 1994-95, with the remainder of the $213.6 million spread out over four years through 1998-99.
The School Board, however, decided Monday night to speed up $12 million in construction on two projects: an addition to crowded Great Bridge High School, and work at eight schools to provide special classrooms for disabled students.
Board members are asking City Council to advance $759,300 needed for planning and design work on those projects, to be repaid to city coffers when the board gets its first installment of bond money in the spring.
Eight new schools and two new buildings to replace old schools also are planned. Six existing schools would get additions and partial renovations. Three others would get additions only.
The plan would include money to renovate Truitt Middle School and convert it to an intermediate school, housing grades four and five. Four schools would get new roofs, and Crestwood Intermediate would get a new heating and air conditioning system.
Board members are scheduled to meet with City Council Oct. 4 to discuss the building plan and other issues.
KEYWORDS: CHESAPEAKE SCHOOLS CHESAPEAKE SCHOOL BOARD by CNB