ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, June 5, 1996 TAG: 9606050010
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SUSAN C. GARDNER
IS THE Staunton River High School building program in jeopardy?
Several months ago, a Bedford County School Board member brought to my attention the point that the school-bond construction account had approximately $4 million less in it than one would expect.
In April, the Board of Supervisors held a public hearing regarding a $6 million bond sale to finance renovations at Huddleston, Moneta and Stewartsville elementary schools, and land and architect-engineering fees for the new Northeast elementary school. At that meeting, Dr. Don Gardner, president of the school advocacy group Citizens Who Care, spoke in favor of these projects. He also told the supervisors: "In my opinion, you will be derelict in your duty to the county taxpayers if you do not get an accounting of the status of the school-bond construction fund." The Board of Supervisors voted to audit the fund and the status of the construction projects forward from 1987. The bond sale was approved.
At the next School Board meeting, School Board member Jackie Preston charged that Gardner was "trying to jeopardize the building program with his radical views." This sort of attitude speaks volumes about accountability to taxpayers that has prevailed by those in charge of our schools.
At the Board of Supervisors' meeting on May 13, the school-bond audit was presented. The results were very disturbing. Unless the $6 million bond for new projects is considered, a balance of $1,043,100 exists as of May 1 in the bond account. Contracts already obligate an amount of $1,708,629 on phase I and phase II construction at Staunton River High and Middle schools and at Montvale Elementary School. The remaining negative balance is also supposed to cover construction on phase III and IV at the high school.
Also, according to the auditor, $5,076,330 has been spent since 1987 on 11 different projects that aren't identified on the school-bond construction account's bond applications. Bedford County Attorney Johnny Overstreet says that, according to state bond-council representatives, borrowing money for one project and spending it on another isn't illegal. However, several supervisors have commented that this practice needs to be illegal in the future.
The $4 million from the bonds sold in the fall of 1995 to finance phase III and IV construction at the high school has been spent on other projects. Not the first shovel of dirt or the first nail has been driven for phase III and IV at Staunton River High School! Phase III and IV construction involves renovating the now-vacant cafeteria into a library. Also, it calls for renovating the vacated library into additional office space, adding heating and air-conditioning systems, new gable roofs and several classrooms in existing courtyards. We now have a library that's too small for state-mandated requirements. Room in another building is designated as library space to avoid dealing with this problem.
The high school has plans to vacate mobile units that have been occupied for 25 years, but even with the new classroom building, 10 to 20 teachers are without an assigned classroom. Gratefully, we've moved into a new classroom building and a new cafeteria. Now everyone can have a seat at lunchtime!
Does a commitment by the School Board and the Board of Supervisors have to be completed? If the money isn't there, does that release the county from a previous legal obligation? Is Staunton River going to be cut back or, worse, cut off?
The audit states that no large projects will be undertaken during the ensuing year. In the past, it seems that area representatives for each board were willing to be quiet about excessive spending to ensure funding for the projects in his or her area. Does Staunton River have to suffer because representatives from this area have demanded accountability before further spending? If we're denied completion of this project, the taxpayers, students and parents need to know why.
The supervisors and School Board members are in the unenviable position of having to straighten out this mess. It's important that the public maintain vigilance and speak to our elected leaders about our feelings. Perhaps it's time to call for a new engineer for this runaway train. According to this audit, the train is about to derail. Bedford County is about to get in the same position as our neighbors in Roanoke County in regard to school bonds.
Susan C. Gardner of Huddleston is president of the Staunton River High School Parent-Teacher-Student Association.
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