School Board weighs options for five-year facilities plans

As Aiken County School District administrators and School Board members wrestle with setting priorities for their five-year facilities plan, the needs of the schools substantially exceed the funds available, Superintendent Dr. Beth Everitt said Wednesday.

The board met the day before to discuss facilities in a special work session that included open discussion from community residents in attendance.

"In setting priorities, many of our schools have equal needs," said Everitt. "We're looking at a handful that for various reasons need attention sooner than later."

The district uses annual bond issues and other funding sources to allocate about $14 million for maintenance needs and major renovation and construction. About $11 million goes for the cyclical maintenance like roofs, HVAC, floors and painting.

Everitt and Deputy Superintendent David Caver presented board members with three facility plan proposals that would impact six schools over the next six years. Each option, however, calls for the replacement of the district's operations center in 2011.

Jackson Middle School is the top school priority and in all three proposals would get a new kitchen-cafeteria in 2011-12. The district proposes that Aiken High primarily would get additional classroom facilities to rid the campus of more than 20 mobile classrooms. In option one, the $8 million to $8.4 million project would be done in three funding cycles from 2011 to 2014. That project wouldn't be done until 2015-16 in the second option and 2013-14 in the third option.

Ridge Spring-Monetta Elementary/Middle School has extensive structural and safety issues and would get $6.4 million. The three proposals would make all or most of those funds available in 2012-13.

At North Augusta High School, enrollment is up to 500 students above capacity. Additional classrooms space, estimated at $8.3 million, would be built in 2014-15 in option three and would be funded over two years starting in 2014-15 in option one. That project isn't included in option two through 2015-16.

Gloverville Elementary School has some extensive facility needs, with allocations of $4.4 million to $5.3 million. In option one, that project would be completed in 2014-15, a year earlier in option twoand is not included in option three.

In options two and three, New Ellenton Middle School and Greendale Elementary School would merge into a K-8 school on an expanded New Ellenton campus at a cost of $7.5 million. That work would begin no earlier than 2014-15. A.L. Corbett Middle School would get $300,000 for gym improvements in 2014-15.

The building/maintenance funding limitations will require the district to budget some projects over years, Everitt said. The needs have increased as buildings have aged "and replacing a window costs more than it did 20 years ago."

Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.