ROANOKE TIMES  
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Wednesday, May 1, 1996                 TAG: 9605010041
SECTION: CURRENT                  PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY  
DATELINE: DUBLIN
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
MEMO: ***CORRECTION***
      Published correction ran on May 2, 1996.
         A pulaski County school-building study committee is recommending the 
      renovation of Pulaski County High School. The kind of recommendation was
      reported incorrectly in Wednesday's New River Current.


PULASKI TO VIEW SCHOOL-BUILDING OPTIONS

The Pulaski County School Board will get recommendations May 9 to build several new schools and close some old ones from a committee that has been studying the matter for about a year.

The recommended construction would occur in two phases because of the costs involved.

As outlined at the committee's final meeting Monday at Pulaski County High School, the first phase would include:

Replacing Newbern Elementary School with a new 400-pupil elementary school, costing an estimated $4.56 million;

Replacing Draper and Northwood Elementary with a second 400-pupil school, also estimated at $4.56 million;

Renovating Claremont Elementary, $4.26 million;

Renovating and expanding Snowville Elementary, $2.51 million;

Building a new school to replace Dublin Middle School, $10.8 million.

The proposed second phase of school construction would include:

Renovating Riverlawn Elementary, $3.37 million;

Renovating Dublin Elementary, $2.51 million;

Renovations and additions at Critzer Elementary, $1.72 million;

Building a new school to replace Pulaski Middle School, $10.8 million;

Consideration should also be given to replacing Pulaski County High School.

The committee of some 30 members has been working with consultants hired by the School Board, and also with the public at two community dialogues each attended by some 300 people whose opinions were sought on how to go about fixing the county's aging school facilities.

"This is going to be a real balancing act," Bill DeJong, one of the consultants, told the School Board prior to Monday's facilities committee meeting. "Don't try just to spread the funds around, because you won't accomplish anything significant."

Construction would most likely be funded by a bond issue, although the School Board plans to look for other financial options. "Throwing a 20-cent tax increase out to fund this thing is simply reckless," Superintendent Bill Asbury said.

DeJong said the Pulaski committee's toughest task was to identify construction priorities, assuming all the construction would not be done at the same time.

"Forty million dollars worth of needs and a $20 million pocketbook - that's going to help paint a picture for you," Asbury said. "Did anybody ever think it was going to be easy?"

Neighboring Montgomery County is facing a similar dilemma this year in its plans to pursue four school-building projects by the turn of the century. One, a new elementary school in Riner, already will be funded this spring by a bond issue and Montgomery officials must decide this summer whether to pursue funding for the other three projects by a fall bond referendum.


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by CNB