School Board approves projects

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School Board approves Capital Improvement Plan

BY Karen Bolipata

Date published: 12/4/2007

BY Karen Bolipata

The Spotsylvania County school division plans to work on five new schools in the next five years, three of them elementary schools, a high school and a middle school.

Under the 2008-12 Capital Improvement Plan the School Board approved last week, the schools will total a projected cost of $201 million, more than 60 percent of the total cost of all projects listed.

Elementary 17 will open fall 2008 after a two-year delay. The school, encompassing 94,919 square feet, is designed to be a one-story building with 38 regular classrooms.

The division will spend about $20 million of its total cost of $22.6 million on Elementary 17 during the five-year period outlined in the plan.

The school location was chosen because it's in an area of significant growth and need, according to the plan. It is in the county's eastern region, where Lee Hill, Parkside and Spotswood elementaries are located.

With an enrollment of 639, Spotswood, as of the 2007-2008 school year, is almost at its building capacity of 641. Overall, there are 73 available seats in the eastern region's elementary schools out of a total capacity of 2,384.

The division is not seeing the same sharp increase in students as in previous years, said Scott Worner, educational facilities planner. Among the reasons could be controlled growth and rising fuel prices, he said.

Elementary schools saw 156 more students this school year from the previous year, compared to 410 new students in 2001-02 and 448 in 2002-03.

Other new schools scheduled: Elementary 18 (near Brock Road and Catharpin Road intersection) in fall 2011, Elementary 19 (next to Spotsylvania High School) in fall 2012, High School 6 in fall 2015 and Middle School 8 in fall 2016.

Construction on Massaponax Church Road, once slated for completion in fall 2008, is now scheduled for fall 2010. The $5.4 million renovation of a half-mile of the road includes adding turning lanes, shoulders and adjusting the width of the road from the intersection of U.S. 17 and Massaponax Church Road.

Money from bond referendums and rollover funds have been allocated to Elementary 17 and Massaponax Church Road.

Date published: 12/4/2007