Board again tables vote on school facilities decision

Although the Alleghany County Board of Education had previously announced a decision on the number of classes to be in the prospective middle school during a Sept. 21 called meeting, the board, in the absence of member Faron Atwood, opted once again to put the decision off for another 30 to 60 days.

The reasoning behind the decision stems from board concerns that incoming Superintendent Jeff Cox to “get his feet wet.” Cox is slated to take the helm on Oct. 10.

Meanwhile, architectural estimates of the needed work at Sparta School were released, showing an estimated cost for expansion of early grades classroom areas of $2,015,126. The board is expecting more concrete figures by its Oct. 26 meeting, which will then be taken to the Alleghany County Commissioners for approval.

Board chair Charles Joines commented, “I’m not so sure we shouldn’t defer — especially with the middle school project — making any kind of decision on that part 30, maybe 60 days until he gets here to have the board make a permanent decision. (This will) give him time to go over everything, take a look at what we need and what he feels like we need. What we do tonight or this afternoon is going to affect him; he’ll reap the consequences, good, bad or indifferent. I feel he needs more time to study what we’ve done and where we are. I personally think we might be wise to wait a few weeks.”

Cox concurred with the decision stating, “I wish I could say with assurance that I can get up here on Oct. 10 and we can have all those answers by the end of October and sail right on, but I don’t know that. I couldn’t say that for sure. I don’t want to put myself in that position. If I don’t understand it, then it shouldn’t go forward. I don’t know if we collectively understand it. I don’t know that we collectively have all the answers that we need.”

Vice chairman Clarence Crouse agreed. “Our people want us to be thorough.”

Sparta School’s Assistant Principal John Farrelly stated that if a decision on the number of grades in the middle school could be made, “That would help tremendously.”

Board member Joel Souther commented, “If we don’t give them (the commissioners) a true figure on every cost of renovation, along with Piney and Glade, and also the middle school concept, and what everything is going to be from the board, they will not approve it.

Then, we’re back to square one. It makes everybody sound like we’re being slow on it, but I think we’re being very cautious in trying to do it right. If we do it right, in five years, we aren’t going to be back here wondering what we’ve done wrong this time.”

Meanwhile, Randy Baker, an architect with Pinnacle Architecture in Matthews, informed the board the construction of phase one, namely the eight rooms in Sparta School, would take about eight months.

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