THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 25, 1996 TAG: 9610250531
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MATTHEW BOWERS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: 69 lines
The School Board let the hem out quite a bit on its long-range building plan Thursday night, but didn't jump all the way to the extra-large size recommended by a study committee.
The board, after meeting twice this week to discuss its changing capital-improvement needs in the face of a booming student population, agreed on a construction and renovation budget of about $128 million, condensed through the 2002-2003 school year. It replaces a plan that called for spending about $83 million from now through 2005.
Superintendent Joyce H. Trump will take the new plan to the city manager today for inclusion in the city's overall budget proposal to be considered by the City Council.
The School Board decided not to request everything recommended earlier this month by a blue ribbon committee that studied school-building needs all year; its plan - plus existing projects - would have cost $164.3 million.
Instead, the board went with the superintendent's suggestion, which differed from the committee's recommendation primarily by scheduling construction of a new, third high school for the city by 2000 - five years sooner - and not renovating and expanding the two existing high schools next year. The committee's plan also will be sent to the City Council, ``so they can see what we saved them,'' board member Frances L. Alwood said.
In the board's plan, $5.5 million was chopped by eliminating ``community space'' - larger gymnasiums, storage and offices used for city recreation programs - in nine schools. The Rev. Mark A. Croston, the board's chairman, said the decision to include this money should come from City Council.
``Our concern is for immediate educational needs,'' Croston said. ``We want the most attractive price we can get'' on the board's proposed budget.
Suffolk, like Virginia Beach and Chesapeake this past decade, is struggling to keep up with surging numbers of students. Enrollment jumped 7 percent this fall, to 10,806, and the growth isn't expected to abate anytime soon, given the scores of new houses being built, mostly in the northern part of Suffolk.
Superintendent Trump said she expected even more schools will have to be added in coming years, and that people will have to get used to the idea of portable classrooms sitting behind many of the city's 15 schools - and new ones.
``We're full,'' said Milton R. Liverman, an assistant superintendent.
``That's a difficult thing for us around this table to convey to the community,'' Trump said. ``We are already behind. We are behind by those 91 portable units.''
``Whatever we do, I think we have to make it very clear that we cannot wait.''
The plan going today to the city manager includes new elementary schools in the central and northern parts of the city by fall 1998, a new middle school the following year, and the new high school plus another elementary school in 2000. Schools to be renovated or expanded include Florence Bowser and Booker T. Washington elementaries by 1998, John Yeates Middle and Driver Elementary by 1999, Forest Glen and John F. Kennedy middle by 2000, and Mount Zion Elementary by 2002. by CNB