NK school board mulls over options presented in CIP

“This is the first time we are really tackling the CIP (Capital Improvement Plan).”

That statement by New Kent school superintendent Rick Richardson only summarizes the process of identifying options for schools during New Kent School Board’s Monday night work session.

Up for discussion are two options to address enrollment issues in the county school system. Option A is identified as renovations to the Historic School, while option B entails the addition of two wings, one at New Kent Elementary and one at George Watkins Elementary.

Talk on the options took center stage at the meeting, but one thing was obvious– both choices are well in play.

Financial director Ralph Westbay commented on the option of adding wings, saying if school board members elect that route, it could provide funds for other needed CIP projects.

“Funds could be saved and used from other projects if we did add wings to each of the schools,” said Westbay, pointing to deterioration of floors and HVAC units in each of the current elementary schools. “It’s about as bleak as you can get as far as equipment.”

Playing a key role in the option of adding wings is the school system’s total enrollment. For the first time in 13 years, enrollment has declined, prompting the comparison with the Historic School project. A 10-year projection that predicted 200 new students has been cut in half to only 100.

“There are a lot of concerns from our side that comes with operating a third elementary school,” continued the financial director. “It will take nearly $1 million more every year for operating costs if we chose the Historic School over the addition of the pods [wings]. I just don’t think this is practical with the new projection numbers.”

A document presented to school board members compared the proposed options. While it is projected that $5.9 million is left to complete the second phase of the Historic School, operating costs for the building would exceed $1.25 million per year.

By comparison, the addition of two wings to each school would cost a total of just under $6.1 million, but operating costs would be only $328,000, a figure that Westbay says can be made over savings in six and a half years.

The size of the original wings would be 10,800 square feet, enough to build 10 classrooms, a corridor, a restroom, and a teacher’s workroom.

The Historic School project, which originally was designated to become school board offices, would return to play, as well as the possibility of becoming home to Heritage Public Library. [New Kent supervisors elected to send an unsolicited PPEA bid for the second phase of construction at its Dec. 11 meeting for publication purposes. See related story in this issue.]

The process and steps taken were among discussion of the options, pointed out by District 5 representative Gail Hardinge.

“This has not been a collaborative process,” she said, pointing to the short and long term planning between the school board, county board of supervisors, and planning commission. “As a community, we haven’t asked a lot of questions, and maybe not even the right ones.

“It’s communication across all the channels,” she continued. “We really don’t have an opportunity to communicate with the people who controls finances.”

School board members elected to hear from the two elementary school principals, asking them to weigh in with their viewpoints and opinions.

“I’ve been getting parent complaints about the building,” said New Kent Elementary principal John Moncrief. “I like the idea of the wings because if it gets built, my building gets remodeled and I don’t have to hear about my building being hot-wired every summer.

“This [option] solves the student population at the school,” he concluded.

“We have 10 trailers, with two of them being half-sized classrooms,” chimed in George Watkins Elementary principal Russ Macomber. “My main goal is getting the kids into the building.

“Trailers are unprotected from the weather,” Macomber continued. “I want this building to be more centralized and right now, there is no more space in our building. The addition of the wings can definitely help us.”

After receiving input, school board members continued comparing and contrasting projected costs. According to Westbay’s numbers, 15 employees would need to be hired to staff the Historical School, in comparison to four for adding wings to the existing buildings.

School board members didn’t hold back thoughts, speaking from various viewpoints on the matter.

“I want to say wherever we put our kids, I want it to be a good, safe structure,” said school board chairwoman Leigh Quick.

“I’m still trying to figure out how adding four employees if we added wings to the existing schools is the same as 15 at the Historical School,” questioned District 2 member Dean Simmons. “I want to know how that is equitable.”

With plenty of questions still in the air from school board members, Richardson addressed the board saying that the process is still ongoing.

“For something of this magnitude, you have to make the right decision,” said the superintendent. “Tonight, we wanted to present these two options for you.

“It is our obligation as staff to bring to the school board these proper recommendations,” he continued. “You don’t have to choose tonight, but we want to tackle the capacity issue.”

School board members agreed with Richardson not to take action on either option in the CIP, but instead set a tentative date of Jan. 21 to adopt the plan.