Middle School is topic at meeting

The members of the Alleghany County Board of Education discussed plans of the future of a potential middle school in the county, one of them being going forward with plans of a spring bond referendum, if the Alleghany County Board of Commission sees fit to seek a bond for the school project.

The board met at Blue Ridge Development Center Friday afternoon. Also in attendance were recently-elected board member Mitch Franklin, Randy Baker and Frank Williams with Pinnacle Architecture, Director of Special Programs John Farrelly and Sarah Jones with the central office.

"We want to work toward a spring bond referendum," Superintendent Jeff Cox told board members. "If we're going to do that in May, then we, as a minimum, need to have things pretty well finalized by February or so. We're on a pretty tight time frame."

Board member Faron Atwood stated, "If we are going to have a bond in April, then you guys (Randy Baker and Frank Williams with Pinnacle Architecture) tell us when you can get the plans so we can go to the commissioners and get the rest of our eggs in a basket. I mean, instead of construction, right now, our goal should be bond or finance." Cox added, "We need to have the end in mind to know how quickly we need to push to get it done."

Atwood responded, "I think, for our purposes, we need to say February, whether it's May or not. I think we need to say February or something and get going."

Farrelly reminded board members that after the November election, there will be one, and could be as many as three, new commissioners to educate about the project. "I think we need to have things in place some point in January," he said.

Using the assumption of a bond referendum and it passing, Cox said, "We have to realize when we get the bond passed, there's going to be a certain amount of time that goes by in putting out bids and getting that back and then if want to wait...we're going to push it back two to three months to start the next school year and then we maybe getting out of the window of time (the contractors) would hold their bids."

Franklin said, "We need to plan it as fast as we can and timing will come from them (the commissioners) and whether it becomes a bond or whatever also comes from them. We need to be ready to support them in whatever they pursue." Franklin then asked how long the project would take, to which Baker said it would take about 18 months.

Williams explained, "It's going to be a difficult project construction wise because you're dealing with digging around the foundations of another building."

Atwood expressed concern over the firm's next drawing, remembering other drawings were not as members of the board had pictured them. Baker stated the firm has worked with other boards and invited them to attend a design meeting, where they could express their needs. Atwood then suggested that a building committee and a programs committee be created to discuss middle school matters and after the prospective boards meeting coming back to the board and filling other board members in.

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