THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 4, 1995 TAG: 9501040379
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PERRY PARKS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
Pasquotank County commissioners and school officials will meet again today to hash out how to spend $6 million as part of a proposed two-phase, $24 million school construction plan.
The two boards met jointly last month for the presentation of the plan, which recommends building a middle school, closing an overburdened elementary and expanding the school that would take its place.
The first, $8 million phase includes a recommendation for nearly $5 million in construction for J.C. Sawyer Elementary, which would take on students in upper-elementary grades if nearby H.L. Trigg is closed.
Also recommended are further renovations to the existing middle school and the construction of a bus garage. About $2 million of the first phase has already been spent on the middle school and a new high school field house.
Commissioners voted on Dec. 19 to suggest changing phase one priorities by cutting more than $1 million from the J.C. Sawyer project and speeding up expansion of two other elementaries, Central and Northside. The altered plan would add 10 classrooms to the first phase and delay or eliminate a new multipurpose room at J.C. Sawyer.
``The commissioners feel that the priority at this point should be classrooms,'' Pasquotank Commission Chairman Zee Lamb said Tuesday.
``We don't like the idea of constantly buying modular units that have a life-expectancy of eight to 10 years when we can put our money into brick and mortar.''
Pasquotank Schools Superintendent Joseph Peel said the alternative proposal seemed workable.
Peel said he hoped the boards can come out of the joint meeting ``with some direction'' on how to spend the rest of the $8 million committed by commissioners last year. Lamb said he hoped to reach a consensus that the commissioners can act on next week.
Lamb also said he wants the boards to form a joint committee to study plans and financing for the second phase, which currently calls for the construction of an $11 million middle school and other school renovations. The committee would meet for only a month or two before reporting back to the boards, Lamb said. by CNB