Joint board continues school construction discussion
The entire memberships of the Amelia County Board of Supervisors and the school
board met together for a second time last week to discuss school construction.
Earlier in the supervisors’ meeting, County Administrator Tom
Harris recommended board Chairman Frank Harris and District 4 Supervisor Kay
Fletcher to represent the board, along with County Administrator Tom Harris and
other staff members on the joint school construction committee. Mrs. Fletcher
has assumed the other committee assignments of her predecessor, Phillip Amiss.
The schools’ Superintendent David Gangel later said the
schools have not selected the school board representatives. At this point the
county staff and the schools’ staff are still working together without the
boards’ representatives, he said.
At last week’s joint meeting, Dr. Gangel reviewed the data
collected in school growth study two years ago, then the schools’ Administrative
Assistant for Support Studies Jeff Boarman related the best option two years ago
had been determined to be an intermediate school capable of being used for
varying grade levels according to need.
Other options were considered, including options that would
have also required renovations to the middle and elementary school as well as
new construction. A new high school was also considered, Mr. Boarman said.
When the study was conducted, the growth pressure was on the
high school, Dr. Gangel said. Later the pressure was on the elementary school.
This year the growth was minimal but was distributed about evenly among all
three schools, he said.
The boards discussed the possible construction costs and
District 2 Supervisor Weldon “Skip” Hall stated the cost of extending sewer and
water should probably be considered as well as any new school would likely be
outside the current sanitary district.
District 4 school board member Gary Lunsford urged the board
members to visit the elementary school to see how crowded it is. He added the
staff has done an excellent job of using available space there.
County Planner David Whitaker advised the county has to
decide upon a site and the type of school first of all.
School board Chairman Damon Moyer said the new school needed
to remain near the three existing schools but also wanted enough land to build
additional schools in the future.
“This all ties into what we will do with the sanitary
district,” Mr. Hall said.
Mr. Whitaker said that is where the public/private
partnership would come in.
Mr. Lunsford suggested the joint committee look into the
“short-term” solution of adding on to the elementary and high schools.
County Administrator Harris noted the reason for the
committee is so that land acquisition exploration could be done in secret.
Otherwise, he warned, the cost of the desired land could triple.
Dr. Gangel said while the existing school sites were “tight,”
it may be possible to expand.
District 1 Supervisor Jim Bennett asked if the school
division would abandon any schools if a new school were built. Dr. Gangel
answered the schools may change grade levels but none would be abandoned.
Mr. Bennett asked if the old Hindle school building could be
used. Dr. Gangel said the Hindle building could be considered for vocational,
technical or specialized high school classes. Grant money may be available for
its renovation for those uses.
Board Chairman Harris and school board Chairman Moyer both
agreed the public would be involved in the planning at some point. They noted if
the public were involved in the planning they would also be willing to pay for
the construction.