by Tim Cox, Editor - From The Caroline Progress
MILFORD - The Caroline County School Board endorsed a plan to renovate and expand Bowling Green Primary School in two phases, although there will be no dedicated source of funds for the second part of the project. The plan was hashed out last week in a meeting that included A.D. Whittaker, the low bidder on the project, two members of the School Board, two members of the Board of Supervisors, and school system and county staff. The project, approved by a 6-0 vote of the School Board at the end of a special budget work session on Monday, would cost $11.5 million, which includes $500,000 in architectural fees.
It would be divided into two distinct phases. The first phase, consisting of the principal construction and renovation work to create a 900-student school with a gymnasium, would cost $10.3 million. The second phase would include a list of 12 items, totaling $792,000, essentially to finish and equip the school. The items range from $344,000 for paving to $5,000 to motorize the stage curtain. Other relatively big-ticket items include $212,000 for additional food services equipment, $71,000 for data technology equipment, $50,000 for library furniture, $21,000 for the gym flooring, and $20,000 for landscaping.
When complete, the project will allow the consolidation of Bowling Green Elementary School. The supervisors last year approved borrowing $9 million for the project and recently indicated they would be willing to increase the amount to as much as $10.5 million for the actual construction and renovation work. However, there are no specific funds allocated for the second phase. The two supervisors who participated in last week's meeting, Floyd Thomas and Jeff Sili, apparently indicated the board would allow any monies left over from the school budget to be used for phase two expenses.
"We've been assured" by the supervisors that the school system can count on using unspent funds to help finish and equip the school, Superintendent Greg Killough told the board. In addition, school officials may be able to reduce the cost of some items in the second phase by doing the work in-house or by putting them out to bid or negotiating for them separately, Killough indicated.
The two boards will discus the project, including funding for the second phase, at another joint work session 5 p.m. Jan. 24, and the supervisors could finalize the plans at their regular meeting later the same evening. Although the School Board's vote was unanimous, at least one member, Mack Wright Jr., was clearly not happy with the lack of committed funds for phase two. Officials could be looking at a finished school next year with no cafeteria equipment, noted Wright, who represented the School Board at last week's meeting along with chairman Nancy Carson. At one point during last week's meeting, the discussion apparently touched on that issue and it was suggested that schoolchildren could take "brown bag" lunches to school, Wright indicated. The supervisors also indicated they were not in favor of asphalt paving, said Wright, a remark that prompted a flurry of comments by other board members.
"By the time we get to that phase, we're going to come up with the money," said George Spaulding. A finished school with gravel parking "would look like Mayberry," he added. Killough said the supervisors were more supportive of the asphalt work by the end of the meeting. "I believe when we get down to that day, we¹re going to get it done," he said.
At last week's meeting, Whittaker proposed about $1.1 million worth of cuts and reductions in the project. The group reviewed those, restored some items, and trimmed the project in other ways. Those reductions included:
- moving the completion date from December 2012 to July 2013
- eliminating high-efficiency mechanical units
- eliminating excavation work
- changes to the electrical work
- removing louvered fencing at ground level and roof screens
- encapsulating old asbestos tile instead of removing it
- reducing the purchase of new food service equipment
- and using a manually-operated stage curtain instead of a motorized one
In a joint meeting with the School Board earlier this month, the supervisors signaled their willingness to increase financing to $10.5 million. The supervisors also wanted to explore the feasibility of structuring the project in phases in order to avoid some of the costs of the Davis-Bacon Act, which makes up about 10 percent of the cost of phase one.