
DATE: Monday, September 8, 1997             TAG: 9709080043

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B9   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY NANCY YOUNG, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   73 lines

RESIDENTS CAN GRADE CHESAPEAKE SCHOOL PLAN TONIGHT'S IS THE FIRST OF TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE CONSTRUCTION PLAN.

The public will have its first chance today to put in its 2 cents' worth on the school administration's five-year, $163 million building and renovation plan.

The proposed Capital Improvement plan includes building two $28 million middle schools - one in the Greenbrier area and one in Western Branch. Deep Creek Intermediate School is scheduled to be replaced by a new building costing almost $13 million.

The building of new schools is a part of a long-term effort to reduce the district's reliance on temporary portable classrooms - an effort that appears to be paying off. In the 1995-96 school year, the district used 342 portable classrooms. Last year the number dropped to 285. This year the district estimates it will need about 175.

``If school construction projects continue to be funded in a timely manner, reliance on portable classrooms will continue to decrease. If funding for school construction projects is delayed and the completion of the needed projects pushed back, reliance on portable classrooms will begin to increase once more,'' the proposal says.

The district may delay some of the projects until it gets firmer projections of growth - which has slowed from the explosive rate of the early 1990s. The district saw a high of 1,580 new students in 1993 compared with 620 new students in 1996.

Plans for two elementary schools, one in the Southeastern Elementary area and one in the Deep Creek Central Elementary area, have been pushed back, and the schools aren't scheduled to open until 2002 and 2004, respectively. Earlier proposals had called for those schools to open in 2000 and 2003, respectively.

At the most recent School Board meeting, board members questioned delaying construction in the Southeastern Elementary area given that that school is already beyond capacity and needs portable classrooms.

But the district's program administrator for planning and development, Len Wright, said some of the overflow might be accommodated by adjusting attendance zones. Butts Road Primary, Butts Road Intermediate and Hickory Elementary are all below capacity. He said that it is best to delay a decision until plans are finalized for new city sewer and water lines that will dictate future development.

The hearing, which will begin at 7 p.m. prior to the start of the board's regular meeting, is the first of two. The second will take place Sept. 29. Both hearings will be held in the school administration building at 312 Cedar Road.

Copies of the proposed plan are available in the city libraries and the school administration building. Those wishing to speak should call 547-1047. ILLUSTRATION: PROJECT LIST

The following projects, with project costs and completion dates, are

included in the Superintendent's Proposed Capital Improvement Plan,

1997-2007.

Middle school, Greenbrier area: $28,254,500 - 2000

Middle school, Western Branch: $28,228,100 - 2000

Elementary school, Chittum area: $16,589,700 - 2002

Elementary school, Deep Creek: $18,650,300 - 2004

Elementary school, Southeastern Elementary area: $16,593,100 -

2002

Elementary School, B.M. Williams Primary, Crestwood Intermediate

and Greenbrier areas: $16,598,700 - 2002

Replace Deep Creek Intermediate: $12,977,900 - 1999