Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, October 10, 1995 TAG: 9510100104
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
That appears to be the preference of Southwest County residents who think that one school would provide a broader academic program and be cheaper in the long run.
A proposal for a 1,900-student school received higher rankings at a community meeting Monday night than any of four other options that called for two schools.
At a meeting last month, a majority of the 300 residents in attendance said in a survey that they preferred a high school with 1,000 to 1,500 students.
The crowd at Monday night's meeting to consider options and cost estimates for elementary, middle and high school projects in Southwest County was about the same size as last month's. There was no actual vote on the options.
Consultant William DeJong said he was not surprised at the outcome, because parents and residents now have cost estimates.
A 1,900-student school would be more expensive to build, but it would cost $1.7 million a year less to operate than two schools, DeJong said.
Consultants estimate that it would cost $36.8 million to build a new school and convert the existing Cave Spring High School into a middle school.
They say it would cost $31.7 million to $33.4 million to establish two high schools and make middle school improvements. The cost would depend on whether Hidden Valley Junior High School is converted to a high school or a new 1,000-student high school is built. Cave Spring High would remain a 1,000-student school in these options.
But the additional building costs could be recouped rapidly with lower operating costs for one school.
Consultants said the biggest saving - $1.1 million a year - would be in lower costs for the teaching staff with one school. There also would be savings in athletic programs, maintenance, utilities and library services.
``When you look at operating costs, that is a big factor. Although it will cost more to build a large school, in the long run it would be cheaper,'' said DeJong, president of DeJong & Associates, a consulting firm in Dublin, Ohio.
``Operating costs can be the driving force behind projects,'' he said, adding that the savings could become larger as costs increase.
DeJong is working with Moseley McClintock Group, a Richmond company that is doing the feasibility study on school facilities in Southwest County.
In a rating of options for elementary school improvements, the preferred choice was a proposal to build a 500-student elementary school to replace Clearbrook Elementary and relieve crowding at Penn Forest Elementary and Cave Spring Elementary.
The proposal also calls for an addition to and renovation of Oak Grove Elementary School.
The consultants will meet with a steering committee and review the proposals before making recommendations to the School Board.
Under the proposal for a new 1,900-student high school, Cave Spring High would be converted to a 750-student middle school; Hidden Valley Junior High would become a 750-student middle school; Cave Spring Junior High would no longer be used as a junior high or middle school, but it could become an elementary or alternative school or be converted to governmental use.
In terms of construction cost, the cheapest option for the high school improvements was the retention of Cave Spring High as a 1,000-student school and conversion of Hidden Valley Junior High into a 1,000-student high school. Under this plan, Cave Spring Junior would be used as a middle school and a 750-student middle school would be built. This plan would cost $31.7 million.
The most expensive option was the construction of a new 1,500-student high school and the conversion of Cave Spring Junior High into a 500-student ``high school of choice.'' Under this proposal, Cave Spring High would become a middle school and Hidden Valley Junior High would be a middle school. This plan would cost $38.7 million.
by CNB