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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 13, 1995                   TAG: 9509130025
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: BRIAN KELLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                LENGTH: Short

MONTGOMERY COMMITS $1.3 MILLION TO SCHOOL PROJECT

Montgomery County took another step Monday to put money behind its leaders' intentions to build a new elementary school to serve the Riner area.

The county Board of Supervisors voted 5-1 to agree to borrow up to $8 million to replace Riner and Bethel elementary schools. Supervisor Nick Rush of Christiansburg opposed the move. In earlier meetings, Rush had suggested that renovations and expansions of existing schools would be more cost-effective.

The board also voted 4-2 to authorize spending up to $1.3 million of that amount to pay for land acquisition, engineering and architectural fees associated with a new school. The county plans to take the money from school operating funds and reimburse the school account next year following a bond sale.

Rush and Supervisor Joe Stewart from Elliston were in the minority. Supervisor Ira Long was absent.

The two votes gave the county the legal footing to spend money this year should the School Board and Board of Supervisors choose a site.

The votes formalized an action the supervisors tentatively supported Aug. 14 in a 3-2 vote. Rush and Stewart opposed the earlier measure, too.

The vote came with minimal public talk, but followed a 40-minute closed-door discussion of recommendations from a School Board-supervisors joint committee that has been studying potential school sites.

by CNB