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Schools trying to get handle on rising costs

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CONCORD - In preparation for the next county bond referendum proposed for 2008, Cabarrus County Schools Board met Thursday night to discuss its next eight critical facility projects and how to pay for them.
Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services Jim Amendum updated the system's 15-Year Facilities Plan, noting that it's a "work in progress" because of calculations of new subdivisions and the effects of growth rates on individual schools.

Almost 3,000 building permits for single and multiple family and mobile homes in Cabarrus County were granted in 2005, up from 2,207 in 2004.

"It's going to be another big year as far as permits go," Amendum predicted to the CCS board members. "And as the growth continues, there's more of a need for schools."

CCS schools experiencing the highest yearly growth rates from 2004-05 to 2005-06 include Cox Mill and W.R. Odell Elementary, Harris Road Middle and Northwest Cabarrus High schools.

The 15-Year Facility Plan initially slated eight facilities to open in either 2008 or 2009, but Amendum said dates were pushed to 2009 and 2010 because of funding delays.

The facilities in the plan considered high-priority are:

? A southwest elementary school adjacent to C.C. Griffin Middle (if a proposed Grace Development Corporation land donation goes through) to relieve A.T. Allen and Rocky River elementary schools for 2009;

? A middle school south of N.C. 49 and U.S. 601 to relieve C.C. Griffin Middle and a possible temporary move for Mount Pleasant Middle for remodeling projects for 2009;

? A bus garage in 2008;

? An Education Center addition for technology department relocation and growth needs for 2008;

? An elementary school south of Harrisburg to relieve Harrisburg, Rocky River and Bethel elementary schools for 2010;

? An Alternative Program Center in the center-city area to house all alternative programs for 2010; and

? A high school for the northwest area in 2010.

CCS construction director Sam Masters said total construction and land costs for the projects would total $147 million now in 2006, or $179.8 million because of inflation factors in 2008.

"If the county plans a 2008 bond, we want to buy land now and start the designs now," Masters said. "That's the only way we can have the schools by their proposed dates."

As Masters' projected construction costs do not include athletic facilities like tennis courts and field houses, board member Cindy Fertenbaugh pointed out that the board should plan for equal facilities.

Board member Holly Blackwelder expressed concern that the construction costs estimates for 2006 might be lower than the actual rates.

"I just want to see the projections in line with what the rates are right now," Blackwelder said. "I'd hate to have us off by a large amount and wind up in 2009 with a shortfall."

Other facility recommendations included more pre-Kindergarten sites, as the system's goal is to replace Long Preschool.

Long Preschool currently has a 200-student waiting list and the site directors report there are between 300 and 400 more students eligible for the program who cannot be enrolled because of space limitations.

The board also heard a report on the system's 2005-06 at-risk student populations from CCS finance officer Gene Jordan.

Factors such as per-school percentages of students in free or reduced lunch, Exceptional Children and English as a Second Language programs determine staffing allocations and class sizes, mainly at the elementary and middle schools.

Jordan noted that system's average for the Exceptional Children program was 14.4 percent, more than the state's 12 percent cap for funding.

"It's a struggle for us to fund EC classes each year," Jordan said. "Every year the state talks about raising the cap for funding but we hope this summer they'll actually do it."

Schools with the five highest at-risk indices were Coltrane-Webb, Royal Oaks, Wolf Meadow, W.M. Irvin and Beverly Hills elementary schools, all Title I schools.

CCS Superintendent Dr. Harold Winkler said the percentages are meant to "paint a picture of the school" and that because of stress factors on the staff working with at-risk students, salary increases would be a positive change.

"We're trying to keep at-risk schools equitable to the other schools," Winkler said.

? Contact Erin Cox at mcox@independenttribune.com or 704-789-9138.

http://www.independenttribune.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CIT%2FMGArticle%2FCIT
_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137835643480&path=!news

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