Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, June 21, 1994                   TAG: 9406220148
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

CAVE SPRING COULD SEE SCHOOL SOON

The School Board already has bought part of the proposed site for a new high school near Penn Forest Elementary School. But the board had not contemplated building a new high school for another eight to 10 years.

In the meantime, they have proposed to spend $5 million for needed additions and renovations in the next three or four years at the existing Cave Spring High and Cave Spring Junior High schools.

The projects would accommodate growth, provide air conditioning at the junior high school, upgrade science rooms at the high school and make other renovations.

But county Supervisor Bob Johnson raised the possibility that the county might want to proceed with plans for a new high school now rather than spending $5 million on projects that might be unnecessary if a new school were built.

"If a new high school is needed, why not bite the bullet and do it now rather than delaying it?" Johnson asked school officials last week. "Why spend $5 million on something that will hold us only for eight years?"

As a supervisor, Johnson said, he has no legal authority to tell the School Board what to do or how to run the schools. But he believes the county might save money by building soon.

Frank Thomas, School Board chairman, said school officials are receptive to Johnson's suggestion. But the real issue is whether the county can afford to sell the bonds now and make the annual debt payments.

Under the proposed $5 million plan for renovating the junior high and high schools, the School Board would borrow the money from the state Literary Fund. The low-interest loans would be repaid by the board within its debt structure so it would not have to ask the county for more money.

Thomas said school officials would like to have a new high school as soon as possible, but that will depend on whether the supervisors can help with more debt.

If a new high school is built, the preliminary plan calls for the existing high school to become a middle school.

The School Board is trying to juggle the school needs in the Cave Spring area with the rest of the county. It needs to expand the William Byrd High School at an estimated cost of $3.3 million, renovate Fort Lewis Elementary at $1.4 million, and make $14 million in various improvements at almost all schools.

The board's long-term projects also include a proposed sports complex at Northside High School at an estimated cost of $7 million and a new elementary school in the Bonsack community east of Roanoke. No cost estimate has been made for the elementary school.