Commissioners promise funding for new school in Centertown
County Commissioners honored what many indicated they felt was a promise to Centertown residents Monday as they approved a motion to support construction of a new Centertown school, and to appropriate the money necessary to do so no later than Aug. 31, 2005. The motion passed 20-4.
“This is an issue that has been discussed for a lot of years,” Education Committee chairman Bill Zechman said. “But in the past several months we’ve come closer to being able to get some things together to try to move forward with the long-awaited replacement of Centertown School.”
Zechman went on to talk about the condition of the building and some of the woefully out-of-date teaching materials, and also showed commissioners a pest-strip with what was purported to be several brown recluse spiders on it.
“These are the conditions our children are going to school in at Centertown School,” Zechman said. “Members of the commission, I think we’ve put these people off long enough.”
The proposal originally had a figure of $6.5 million listed as the estimated cost, but Commissioner George Smartt made a motion to remove the specific amount and change the language to “whatever is necessary.” Smartt felt a specific amount might limit the commission if it turned out, once preliminary work had been done, the project would cost more, or perhaps even less, than predicted. Smartt said he saw no point in specifying an amount at this stage. This amendment passed with a 22-1 vote with one commissioner passing.
The document also listed very specific responsibilities the school board and school system administration would commit to in order to prepare for the project, and agreed to pay for out of their budget. These included conducting a site search, performing geotechnical testing on a designated site, engaging a licensed architect to render drawings, scope of work, estimated costs for the project, and negotiating and paying for an option to purchase the site.
In addition, they agreed to hold public meetings and present a report to the commission by Nov. 15 of this year, and submit a plan, no later than April 1, 2005, to take care of the disposition, sale, or exchange of the present Centertown School real and personal property on completion of the new facility.
Director of Schools Dr. Jerry Hale said he was pleased with the outcome.
“We feel it’s a very positive step in the right direction,” Hale said. “It should put the Centertown School project well under way.”
Hale indicated the school board would be meeting soon to begin preparations.
“Everyone I’ve talked to is very positive about it,” he said, “and look forward to getting started on it.”
Some commissioners, along with County Executive Kenneth Rogers, expressed concern that the school system’s preparations might not be complete by the specified date of Aug. 31, 2005 and that it would be unwise to appropriate the funds until the plans were complete and construction was ready to begin.
“It will be hard to get ready by that time,” said Rogers, “and I’m not for using taxpayer money to pay interest until the school system is ready to begin construction.”
Still, Rogers made it clear if the school board is ready, he will support appropriating the funds as promised.
Hale was more a bit more confident, and indicated the school system and school board are well aware of their commitment, and plan to meet the deadline.
“The school board is starting on the obligations that were presented in the motion,” Hale said, “and it’s our intention to be ready at that point. That’s a year away, and a lot can be done in a year.”