NKSB vows to stand fast on ‘non-negotiable’ components

New Kent’s School Board is drawing what one member labeled a “line in the sand” regarding certain features that school officials say must be incorporated into any plan for renovating the county’s Historic School into a grade K-5 elementary.

The features rank as “non-negotiable,” they insist. And board members plan to present a united front and make their stance clear when they meet with county officials and representatives of Marengo Management, the company that has placed on the table an unsolicited proposal under the state’s Public-Private Educational Facilities Infrastructure Act (PPEA) to undertake the renovation work.

School board members took about 45 minutes before convening their regular monthly meeting on March 6 to discuss strategy for the March 11 session.

“What’s most important is we must tell [county officials and Marengo representatives] what we consider the essential components of a safe learning environment,” said board chairman Leigh Quick.

“I do want [March 11] to be going forward,” she said, stressing that all involved — school officials, county supervisors, and Marengo — must assume a team approach. “We all have the same common goal. If we have the same common goal, we can work this out.”

Topping school officials’ list of non-negotiable items is tying together the Historic School’s two separate buildings to create a single entry point for providing visitors’ access during the school day.

“This is an essential security component in this day and age,” said Quick.

Next is ensuring that the completed renovation work is compliant with state Department of Education building codes as well as policies set by the county’s school board.

Then comes site work. School officials say that a playground, sufficient parking for vehicles, a safe area for parents to drop off and pick up kids, and a loop for bus access are mandatory.

Quick, meanwhile, insists the finished product must exhibit parity with the county’s existing New Kent Elementary and Watkins Elementary schools.

School superintendent Rick Richardson chimed in that another key is that the board “makes unequivocal what should be in the final plan.”

Board member Sarah Barber said school officials should urge Marengo representatives to inspect the Historic School’s buildings before renovation proceeds so that necessary modifications can be addressed.

“Have them tell us this is what you have and this is what needs to be fixed,” she said.

“We must let them know they’re not going to get by without doing a thorough job,” she added.

Board member Gail Hardinge said future needs should be another topic of discussion.

“We don’t want to come back 10 years from now and say we need to put in x-amount of money because we didn’t plan for this,” she said.

Board members stressed importance of communication between all parties involved as well as the public. A subcommittee made up of representatives from the school board, Board of Supervisors, and Marengo is scheduled to meet twice a month. That meeting was March 14.

Once a renovation plan is in hand, Quick said, that information is to be shared with the public and input is invited.

But school officials admit they are in the dark over certain aspects of the PPEA procedure since New Kent has not embarked on a similar project in the past. Handcuffing school officials for now is the project’s unknown cost. Under PPEA, the bottom line cost remains proprietary, meaning not released to the public, until a contract is signed.

“We have no idea what our [non-negotiable components] will have on the price,” Richardson said.

Earlier Thursday, Richardson and Quick met with supervisors’ chairman Thomas Evelyn, county administrator Rodney Hathaway, and county attorney Michele Gowdy. Richardson said that from the meeting, school officials learned that if the project ends up costing more than 25 percent above the original (and still unknown) figure offered by Marengo, the process could revert back to square one. Options then could include starting over with the PPEA process, soliciting bids, or abandoning PPEA and opting for a design/build approach.

“Our non-negotiables are pretty basic, but we should be flexible and be willing to go back to the table and consider other possibilities if the cost is prohibitive,” Hardinge said.

Close to a dozen parents sat in on Thursday’s meeting. During the public comment session, several urged school officials to foster a team approach with supervisors and improve lines of communication with the public. Others offered their support for the direction school officials plan to take.

“You find a way to work with the Board of Supervisors, develop a plan both can work with, tell us what works long-term, and we’ll find the money, support you, and get it done,” county resident Bart Leader told school officials.

Another resident, Alan Walker, said he plans to “stir the fire” if he perceives continuing communication problems with supervisors.

But another resident, Kate West, told school officials she is “adamantly opposed” to plans for converting the Historic School to an elementary. She suggested alternatives for addressing overcrowding at schools, including a move that would place eighth graders at the high school and fifth graders at the middle school.

“We’re paying a huge bill on the new high school,” she said. “It should be fully utilized.”

She also recommended conducting a feasibility study, adding, “I don’t think the Historic School will be useful beyond 10 years.”

Afterward, Quick said school officials are attempting to improve lines of communication with supervisors and the public. She invited parents to regularly attend school board meetings and work sessions and express concerns during supervisors’ meetings.

A budget work session is set for March 25 at a time to be determined. Next month, the board convenes for its regular meeting on April 7 and a work session is set for April 23.

In an unrelated note, the board plans to interview candidates for the superintendent’s post April 1-15. Richardson is retiring effective July 31.