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

DATE: THURSDAY, August 11, 1994                   TAG: 9408110044
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: By MELISSA DeVAUGHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

STUDY SEEKS TO ADDRESS SCHOOL CROWDING

At Riner Elementary School, two mobile units house special education classes as well as a new fifth-grade class. The school building simply ran out of space to hold the influx of children as new subdivisions have sprung up in the area.

At Bethel Elementary School, the library is crammed into a classroom-sized room and six mobile units house the fifth grades and other specialty classes. The building is sound, says Principal Jeff Perry, but the school needs more classroom space.

At Elliston-Lafayette Elementary School, the school is more than 50 children over capacity. There are three mobile units, a below-standard library and a kitchen too small to serve the needs of all the children.

These are just a few of the findings of the Montgomery County Facility Use and Space Study released by the Montgomery County School Board in June.

The study outlines the condition of all the county's schools except the new Kipps Elementary School, and offers suggestions on bringing the schools up to standard. Improvements for all the schools would cost between $69 million and $100 million.

School officials will hold meetings at each of the county's schools so parents and community members can have input in long-range plans for solving the space needs.

"We plan to tell the people about the different options and alternatives that [the consultants] thought of at the time, but they're not the only alternatives," said Larry Schoff, director of facilities, maintenance and transportation. "That's why we're soliciting input from the public."

While the study, conducted by Kinsey, Shane and Associates of Salem, showed the buildings to be in moderately good physical condition, a growing student population and lower pupil-teacher ratios will demand more classroom space. A lower pupil-teacher ratio is the No.1 priority of the Focus 2006 Planning Commission, which was formed to develop a longe-range plan to improve all county schools.

The first meeting on the space study will be held in Bethel Elementary School, Tuesday, Aug. 30, at 6:30 p.m. Bethel, which tops the list in physical disrepair and overcrowded conditions, currently has about 200 pupils - capacity at the school is 174. All existing classrooms are below standard. Expansion space is limited because of the school's close proximity to Interstate 81 and Virginia 177.

"We've had some projects - our roof is redone, the asbestos has been removed and the PTA has practically replaced the playground," Perry said. "But we need help in the overcrowding."

An additional meeting will be held in Auburn High and Middle School, Wednesday, Aug. 31, at 7:30 p.m. Auburn is not immune from problems either, with three mobile units, limited parking, inadequate physical education facilities and a full capacity of 500 students.

Area parent-teacher associations are currently scheduling meetings at the remaining county schools.

"We're really trying to push public participation on this study," said Regina Smith,who serves as the county council president of PTAs. She added that because each school has its own problems, separate meetings will be more helpful to parents, rather than listening to presentations for all the county's schools.

For more information on future meetings, call the principal at the school your child attends.

by CNB