Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 27, 1994 TAG: 9407270078
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The county School Board, which had entertained the idea of building a new high school now only because Supervisor Bob Johnson had promoted it, won't pursue the proposal further, Chairman Frank Thomas said.
The county already has $50 million in school building and equipment needs, and some of them have higher priority than a new high school, Thomas said.
"With all of our other needs, I'd don't see how we could put a new school ahead of other projects," Thomas said after the School Board met with the supervisors to consider the 10-year capital improvement plan for schools.
Johnson still believes the county should have a referendum in November on a new high school that could cost nearly $20 million and a stadium that could cost an additional $4.5 million. If the county waits another eight to 10 years, the cost could be more than $32 million, he said.
"It's not going to get any cheaper, the longer you wait," he said.
But Johnson appears to have the support of only Supervisor Ed Kohinke for the high-school referendum.
And it remains uncertain whether the county will have a referendum in November on projects that school officials say are urgently needed.
If there is a bond issue for schools, it almost surely would require a tax increase - probably in the real estate tax rate, some members of the county Board of Supervisors said Tuesday.
After a 90-minute debate on the schools' needs, the supervisors asked Superintendent Deanna Gordon and the School Board to work with county finance officials to determine the tax increase that would be needed for a bond issue of either $15 million or $30 million.
They asked the School Board to rank the projects by priority and determine the ones that could be built by alternative plans.
Chairman Lee Eddy and Supervisor Harry Nickens said they were reluctant to have a referendum because they doubted voters would approve the bonds. Supervisor Fuzzy Minnix, who was absent, also has questioned whether voters will approve a bond issue that requires a tax increase.
Eddy said he was concerned about the county's other financial needs and was reluctant to support a bond issue that would require a tax increase.
Nickens said he was cautious about the school projects because they are so expensive and some seem to be overkill, such as repaving the parking lot at every school. School officials said that not all would be repaved immediately, but the work would be done over 10 years.
Even though a school bond issue will require additional revenues, County Administrator Elmer Hodge said the county needed to make some improvements to schools and acquire more instructional technology.
"We've let our schools become a little shabby, and we've fallen behind in technology," Hodge said. "Our school systems is one of the biggest things that help us attract new businesses and industries."
Thomas told the supervisors that the School Board will develop a priority list of projects by next month so the timetable can be met for a bond referendum in November.
by CNB