ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, April 16, 1997 TAG: 9704160083
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER THE ROANOKE TIMES
Residents recommended spending $120 million on new schools and renovations. Now the money must be found.
Roanoke County school officials say they can proceed quickly on school improvement projects without trimming $700,000 from next year's school budget as suggested by Bob Johnson, chairman of the Board of Supervisors.
School Board member Jerry Canada said it will take several months to prepare architectural and engineering plans for the projects in the first phase of the school improvements.
Although the initial phase could cost $50million, Canada said school officials probably won't spend more than $10million during the next year because not all of the contracts will be awarded.
As a result, he said, the county won't need to issue $25million in bonds in the next year - the figure that was the basis of Johnson's suggestion last week for the cut in the $84million school budget.
If the school officials could spare $700,000, it could be combined with $1.8million that the supervisors have set aside for financing school projects, Johnson said. The $2.5million total could be used for bond payments, enabling the county to finance $25million in school improvements immediately without a tax increase, he said. And the county could issue another $25million within three years to complete the first phase, Johnson said.
A residents' committee recently recommended that the county spend $120million in the next decade on new schools and renovations.
The committee recommended a three-phase plan. The first includes a new high school in South Roanoke County and four projects in other sections of the county. The committee also urged the county to upgrade high school science labs and school roofs immediately.
During the next year, Canada said the schools probably will need funds for the architectural and engineering plans for the initial projects, upgrading science labs, roof repairs and purchase of a site for a new high school.
The School Board has asked Martin & Associates, an architectural firm that worked with the residents' committee, to prepare an estimate of the funds that will be needed in the next year.
"We won't need every dollar in phase one during the first year," Canada said.
He said he hopes the estimate will be available within 30 to 45 days and the board will ask the supervisors to provide the money.
"I don't see a need for us to provide $700,000 in the next year [to help repay bonds]," he said. "I suggest that maybe we could provide $700,000 over three years."
Superintendent Deanna Gordon said it would be difficult to reduce the school budget next year to free up money for repaying bonds.
The school budget includes a $300,000 contingency fund that the board had hoped to use for a computer design lab at Cave Spring High School, textbooks, art and band equipment, copiers and other items.
"We need this $300,000 contingency," said Chairman Michael Stovall. "It's easy to say 'cut the budget' but we need this money."
John Lyden, co-chairman of the residents' committee that recommended the school improvements, said the group didn't expect the school budget to be cut to help pay for the building projects.
"We never intended for this to reduce the school operating budget," Lyden said.
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