Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, December 11, 1993                   TAG: 9312140270
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-8   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: By PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI                                LENGTH: Medium

PULASKI COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD CONSIDERING NEW UPKEEP IDEA

The board heard a presentation Thursday night from Honeywell Inc., one of the companies specializing in contracts that guarantee money-saving results.

``We've been working with schools specifically in this program about eight years,'' said Julie Doyle, a Honeywell representative stationed in Roanoke. ``The program is very comprehensive and customized.''

The idea is for a company to develop a maintenance and improvement plan financed through regular school budgets with money saved by keeping facilities efficient.

The next step would be for the School Board to issue a request for proposals.

Interested companies, including Honeywell, would then spend 45 to 60 days studying and evaluating the buildings and working out a plan to maintain and upgrade them.

A contract would be made with the selected company to carry out the plan over a period of time, most often 10 years.

It might include such elements as switching from coal or electrical heat to gas to lower costs, and working with other vendors to improve lighting or insulate windows.

Doyle predicted that Pulaski County would have no trouble finding companies to make competitive proposals.

One reason more school districts are turning to it is tighter budgets, she said.

``We're at the point where we've got to do something. Energy use at the high school and other places are eating us alive,'' Superintendent Bill Asbury said. ``This seems to be an alternative.''

A 41-member task force now studying future school building needs may look at this concept ``and certainly consider the options'' of performance contracting, he said.

The task force is looking at such possibilities as closing the three smallest elementary schools, finding ways to slow the student dropout rate, and coming up with the $4.5 million already needed for building repairs and renovations.

Assistant Superintendent Phyllis Bishop said no recommendations have been made yet.

``I feel that they all were overwhelmed with all the information,'' she said. ``But they're taking it very seriously.''

The task force is scheduled to make its recommendations by mid-January, but may ask for an extension, said board Chairman Ron Chaffin.

The board appointed two of its members, Dr. Nathan Tuck and Sybil Atkinson, to its budget review committee to serve with school employees, parents and business community representatives.

It also voted to close schools two hours early Dec. 22, the last school day of 1993.

The school system has lost 38 students so far this year - 20 from high school, one from middle school and 17 from elementary schools, Bishop reported.

Since state funding is based on student numbers, this will mean a loss of $5,200 from the state.