Schools discuss drug-free schools grant

During a joint meeting with the Alleghany County Commission last week, Alleghany County Schools requested $1,813,601 to fill the school's needs for the fiscal 2004-2005 school year. This is an increase of $235,367 from last year's budget.

In a handout given out to the commission the day prior, County Manager Don Adams said that meeting the requests of the schools in full would lead to about a 2.5 cent tax increase, on top of the 4 cent tax increase that is already built into the proposed county budget. As another option, the county could also cut other programs to make up the difference, Adams said.

The increase in budget, however, does not include the increasing space needs at area schools.

The space needs in Alleghany County Schools have now reached a critical crisis point, according to Davis. "I had earlier thought our increased enrollment was an one-year or two-year fluke. We now have enough evidence to show that this is at least a 10-year process. Looking at the surrounding counties and areas in the state, it is something that is going to have to be dealt with."

According to retiring Principal Barbara Lyon, there is an increasing enrollment at the high school as well.

"If we get any more students, there could easily be 140 freshmen next year. With the increased enrollment, we're going to need some additional help next year. We're fast approaching 500 at the high school," Lyon said.

"The bottom line is this. We do have a crisis for space in Alleghany County Schools," said Davis. "Somehow, some way, we have to address the space needs. How you do that is somehow tied back into money." The schools are currently looking at a plan that would move some classes off campus to another building, which would need to be renovated. No exact cost estimates have been presented.

"I just want to make sure we aren't confusing the cost of an architect of telling us exactly what we can do with identifying the long-term needs of the schools," responded Don Adams. "It's not only spending $20,000. If you have a need specifically identified, that's when you spend $20,000 on architects to tell you how much it's going to cost. It's not just having a cost on a building today and next year, but also are we going to have a cost on Piney Creek School, Glade Creek School...then you can really start planning out. At that point, you can start taking action and associating costs with it."

Councilman Charles Joines agreed, commenting they needed to start planning now what to do should Glade Creek, in particular, that is facing the same situation as Sparta School in the next two or three years.

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