Renovating Historic School as 3rd elementary advanced

New Kent School Board members are forging ahead with a proposal to convert the “north building” at the Historic School into what would become the county’s third elementary school for grades K-5. The board voted 4-1 at their Jan. 27 work session to adopt a Capital Improvement Plan that includes the Historic School renovation.

In the process of addressing overcrowding issues, the board turned thumbs down on an option that would have added 10 new classrooms to both of the county’s existing elementary schools (G.W. Watkins and New Kent Elementary) at a cost of over $6 million. Also rejected was converting the Historic School building into a home only for New Kent Elementary students in grades 3-5.

School officials, however, remain in the dark when it comes to the financial side of creating a third elementary. One PPEA bid for renovating the north building has been received by the county, but the bottom line has yet to be released although some speculation places the amount in the $7 million range. Also, school officials are unsure if the bid includes cost for furnishing and starting up a new elementary.

A committee made up of school and county officials met last Friday to discuss the PPEA situation.

Members of both boards agreed that the process is in a time crunch, but believe they will be able to open as scheduled with all necessary requirements.

School administration staff, meanwhile, studied five options in all for addressing student enrollment growth at the elementary level.

“Sometimes, the best solution is one that’s not available,” school superintendent Rick Richardson told the school board during the Jan. 27 work session, pointing to an option to build a $28 million elementary school.

Board members passed over the option since school staff ruled the $28 million structure is not feasible at this time, primarily due to money concerns. Also, an option to house all county fourth and fifth graders in the Historic School was deemed unfeasible by staff.

“There is no perfect solution,” Richardson told the board. “The least disruption to our elementary schools’ operation would be to go with K-5 at the Historic School, but adding wings [of 10 classrooms at each existing school] is the best way to go financially.”

On the down side, opting for the third K-5 school means the county must go through a redistricting process, drawing new boundary lines for school attendance. If renovated, the Historic School’s student capacity would be close to 350. Student numbers would then be in the 500-550 range at both New Kent Elementary and Watkins.

Higher operating costs would also be a drawback, school officials say. And then there are problems of finding ample parking and playground space at the Historic School and keeping the elementary school separate from the neighboring Bridging Communities technical center.

The third elementary would also need up to 18 new employees including a principal, librarian, guidance counselor, and teachers for art, music, and physical education along with clerical and paraprofessional staff.

But principals at both of the existing elementary schools threw their support behind the Historic School as a third elementary, notably from an instructional standpoint.

“From the very beginning, that was always the best option,” Watkins principal Russ Macomber told the board. “If you add wings, you still have to maintain trailers, and I’d prefer not to have 800 kids. You’d still have to find space for special education, resources, and a third computer lab, and we’d be almost at capacity if we added 10 classrooms.”

New Kent Elementary principal John Moncrief said that even with a 10-classroom addition, trailers would still be needed to house the upper grades at his school.

Most board members agreed with the principals’ assessment.

“I never could imagine an elementary school with 800 students,” chimed in board chairman Leigh Quick.

But board member Brett Marshall opposed the Historic School option, voicing concern over county, and not school board, control over renovations. Marshall cast the lone dissenting vote on the CIP.

“I do not have faith that the Historic School can be built properly,” he told fellow board members. “I foresee it being a problem, and I cannot support that option. If I had faith that it would be built properly under school board supervision, then I’d support your option wholeheartedly.”

Board member Dean Simmons, meanwhile, urged the board to proceed with caution, adding, “If it doesn’t meet the requirements of New Kent students. We don’t sign off on it.”

The proposed CIP, meanwhile, totals just over $2.6 million. Proposed projects include $960,000 for renovating the “Yellow House” at New Kent Elementary; $497,500 for secondary-level technology projects; $390,000 for bus replacement; $290,000 for HVAC controls and fire alarm panel at the middle school; $175,000 for fuel tank replacement at Watkins; $100,000 for cafeteria HVAC renovation at New Kent Elementary; $75,000 for a mobile classroom at New Kent Elementary; $70,000 for lighting at the middle school; and $50,000 for playground renovation at Watkins.

The $2.6 million proposal now heads for scrutiny by the county’s Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors. Supervisors have ultimate say in which, if any, of the projects come to fruition.

Overall, the CIP covers the next five fiscal years through 2019 and totals almost $12.3 million for that timeframe. Of note, the $28 million elementary school appears for now beyond the next five years in fiscal 2019-20.