School officials cite need for accuracy in information

Members of the Alleghany County Board of Education said they disagree with numbers recently printed in a regional newspaper regarding recurring costs of a potential middle school.

During a Dec. 4 meeting, board member Faron Atwood stressed the importance of correct information reaching potential voters. Atwood said, "There was just a little bit of misinformation in there about recurring cost and that's what people are reading. We need to educate some people. I don't know where they got those figures, but they were incorrect."

Chairman Clarence Crouse added, "Misinformation can do so much harm to us as much as correct information can do for us." He also noted that with schools being built in another county in the state, the issue will be "a topic of interest in the region, as well as within the county."

According to the most recent numbers, which were released by the school system in October, recurring costs associated with a middle school were estimated at $675,000. An earlier draft that included all the funding necessary for an "ideal" number of teaching staff had the recurring cost listed at over $900,000.

While $2 million worth Qualified Zone Academy Bonds (QZAB) funds attained by the school system did not affect recurring cost for a potential middle school, QZAB did help reduce total construction cost. Initially, construction cost were about $10 million, but with QZAB funds, the total construction cost the schools are asking for in the bond referrendum (slated for March) currently stands at $7.5 million.

The school system—through the help of the Alleghany County Commission —attained the QZAB funds for projects affiliated with school renovation. The funds cannot be used for new construction.

A document dated Oct. 3 addressed proposed QZAB projects for each of the schools. Projects at the high school totaled an estimated $540,157. Among the projects listed are: student parking lot reconfiguration, converting two classrooms to science labs, renovation of bathrooms at Woodruff Stadium and Jarrett Field, coders and video equipment for the Cyber campus and HVAC replacements.

Projects at Glade totaled an estimated $311,185. Among the projects listed are enclosing the breezeway between the main building and the gym, roof replacement for the gym, replacement of windows, renovation of the façade of the main building, and replacement of carpet in the office. Projects at Piney totaled an estimated $697,620. Among the projects listed are renovation of the gym with the walkway enclosed and drainage corrected, a science lab and replacement of the office carpet. Projects at Sparta totaled an estimated $451,972. Among the projects listed are rekeying locks on all the buildings, installing a new building phone system, repairing the gym door and reconfiguring the main entrance/parking lot.

With the aforementioned items removed from the county schools facilities plan, middle school instructional program additions (funding for additional middle school staff and increased utilities cost associated with new middle school facility) would require a recurring budget of $675,000.

According to the document, budget totals addressing immediate capital needs is $7,531,767.

 

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