Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, October 24, 1995 TAG: 9510240078
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
County voters could be reluctant to approve a bond issue for a new high school unless it is packaged with other school projects outside Southwest County, two county supervisors said Monday night.
They said that might be the only way to win voter approval.
Supervisor Lee Eddy said the estimated $33.6 million cost of the new high school is much higher than the $20 million estimate last year.
Consultants and a citizens' steering committee also have recommended $15.7 million in improvements for elementary and middle schools in Southwest County, for a total package of $49.3 million.
"We're talking about a hefty increase in the real estate tax rate, and it will take a strong selling campaign to win voter approval," Eddy said.
A $50 million bond issue could require a 15-cent increase in the county's tax rate of $1.13 per $100 assessed valuation. This could be partially offset by future reductions in debt payments as existing bonds are paid off.
One option that might win support from voters in other areas is to include school projects in their communities, Eddy said.
The supervisors could finance the school projects by selling bonds through the Virginia Public School Authority without a referendum, he said, but that could trigger complaints from voters that they are being bypassed.
Eddy told the School Board he has concerns about the high cost of the proposed new high school, the Merriman Road site for it and unused space if the existing Cave Spring High is converted to a middle school.
The consultants and steering committee, as expected, briefed the board on their recommendations for Southwest County schools. They urged the board to:
Construct a new high school on a site on Merriman Road near Penn Forest Elementary School.
Convert Cave Spring High School into a middle school.
Renovate and build an addition to Oak Grove Elementary School to relieve overcrowding.
Build a new 500-student elementary school to replace Clearbrook Elementary School and relieve overcrowding at Penn Forest and Cave Spring elementary schools.
Board members appear to favor the recommendation for one new high school rather than two smaller schools, but they won't vote on the issue until Nov. 16.
Several have said they are inclined to approve the one-school proposal, but Eddy raised the possibility that it could trigger a political struggle to win voter approval.
Supervisor Bob Johnson, who also attended the briefing, said it might be better to include school projects in other parts of the county in a package with the new high school if the supervisors decide to have a bond referendum.
"If you submit it just as a Southwest County project, it could be divisive," Johnson said. "It would be better to look at the total county school needs."
School officials have outlined a five-year capital improvement program that includes nearly $50 million in school needs in other areas of the county. Johnson said there are plenty of necessary projects that could be included with the Southwest County proposals.
Supervisors Chairman Fuzzy Minnix said the county will have to make a "serious commitment" to education in the next 10 to 15 years if it is to retain quality schools.
"If we are going to remain a leader in education, it will cost money," Minnix said. "I don't know how much taxes we can afford, but we will have to decide what we want to do."
Some parents were angered by Eddy's comments and questions about the recommendations by the consultants and steering committee.
"I am appalled by the continuing roadblocks that are thrown up to the need for a new school," said Terri Langford. She said Eddy continues to imply that parents are a minority whose views don't necessarily reflect those of the community. But the people who supposedly don't support a new school have not come forward at meetings or taken any public stand, Langford said.
Consultant William DeJong said Eddy makes some good points, but there is no other option for a new high school that has the community's support. He said the $20 million cost estimate that was used last year was not realistic and was not based on architectural and engineering calculations.
While the recommendation for a new school might not be perfect, DeJong said, he thinks it the best for the community.
"Will the rest of the county support it? That is a good question. It may hinge on how the School Board and Board of Supervisors rally behind it," DeJong said. "If they splinter, then there might not be support for it."
Consultant Jim Copeland recommended that the county proceed immediately with construction of the high school so it could be ready to open in 1988 or 1989. The county must move quickly because of overcrowding in both Cave Spring High and Cave Spring Junior High, he said.
Cave Spring Junior also does not have air conditioning, and the longer the higher school project is delayed, the longer junior high students will have to use the building, he said.
"You will have to keep spending money to patch things up if you keep waiting," DeJong said.
Construction costs are rising 5 percent a year, and prices could increase substantially if the project is delayed several years, he said. "We feel there is momentum now for this project, and we feel it would be best to move on it."
by CNB