Architect Frank Williams of Pinnacle Architecture discusses school plans with the county commission. Plans range from new middle school to renovating all primary schools

Price tag of up to 10.5 million attached to school plans

Plans to handle space needs at all three of Alleghany County’s primary schools could range in cost from about $7.5 million to around $10.5 million — not including the price of land necessary to build those options. The figures were presented along with the four studied options on March 9 to members of the Alleghany County Board of Education, while the information was presented to the Alleghany County Board of Commissioners on Monday night by school officials (see related story). Representatives of Pinnacle Architectural Firm of Matthews, Julia Williams and Randy Baker, were on hand to present plans to the board. Baker is an architect with the firm, while Williams was contracted to work on the project.

Prior to the presentations of options, Davis addressed the standing-room only boardroom.

“We’re taking a little different approach this time to our facility expansion than we did last time,” he said. “Instead of going down and making an official presentation to the county commissioners and expecting them to respond back, we’re going to go through a process of cooperatively working together. That’s why there is a meeting scheduled for the (March) 14th. We welcome all of you to come that night. As I think I have said in previous meetings, the most significant growth in the K-8 schools in Alleghany County is the result of the More at Four program...This program was not in existence three years ago. It now occupies one classroom at Piney Creek, one classroom at Glade Creek, four classrooms at Sparta.”

Davis noted that student membership in the kindergarten through eighth grade continues to fluctuate, Sparta School has seen the most dramatic increases. After conferring with Sparta School Principal Susan Murphy, he stated that this increase was an average of 100 students over the last five years.

“I want to relay that the Department of Public Instruction is working with us,” Davis continued. “They have informed us, that based on our projections, and they are usually very accurate as far as the trend is concerned, that we will be experiencing a population growth for the next five years. Not a lot in numbers, but the percentage is constantly going up.”

Davis said the county had 30 years of declining enrollment through 2001, but since then, the numbers have climbed steadily.

Option A

Option A includes two possibilities. The first option is to have Sparta Early Childhood Center, which encompasses pre-kindergarten through second grade and a Sparta Intermediate Center for grades three through eight. The other possibility under this option is to have a Sparta Intermediate Center for third through sixth grades and a countywide seventh and eighth facility, Alleghany Upper Grades Center. Both possibilities require the purchase of the former Sara Lee Knit Products Building, which is located across Trojan Avenue from Sparta Elementary.

“You have to remember that in this particular option,” Williams explained. “All three elementary schools need space. If you could move some of the kids at Sparta to the Sara Lee building, it would free up space that Sparta needs.”

While the price of the property was not listed in the document, the estimated cost of renovations of the building, calculated at $75 per square foot, comes to $4,668,750.

Utilizing the former sewing plant would also require various renovations at all three elementary schools to help meet space needs and other needs. Recommendations for the third through eighth grade at Sparta would include the purchase of additional land. The cost of the land was not included in the document, although the school system recently purchased an option on a home and piece of land, owned by Harrol Blevins and others for $3,250. Located at 528 North Main St., the property is listed as .4 acre, but the calculated size of the lot is .764 acre. It has a listed tax value of $47,400, but the apparent agreed-upon sales price was $65,000. The option was first agreed upon on Dec. 28, 2004.

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