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Schools face trimmed-back project list
The recession is forcing Loudoun County Public Schools to make tough choices about the facilities it will build in the coming years.
Last year, the school system was given no funding for new construction, and this year, it will get only about $24.5 million to spend.
That's a tiny drop in the bucket out of the $963 million in projects Superintendent Edgar Hatrick says are needed between now and fiscal year 2016. Because of the limited funds available next year, only one new school will likely be funded – an elementary school in Leesburg that Hatrick says is critically needed.
In presenting two versions of the Capital Improvement Program for fiscal years 2011- 2016 to the School Board Nov. 10, Hatrick said most of what needs to be built to accommodate student growth in Loudoun over the next six years will not be funded.
“These two CIPs create a list of school facilities that should be built during these next years but will not,” he said. “We all realize these are difficult budget times, but we must not allow short-term budget constraints to derail long-term progress for the school system.”
Hatrick presented his recommended CIP, which totaled $963 million, and a second $472 million version that more closely resembles the amount of funding the school system will likely see over the next six years.
The scaled back version of his CIP includes only the $27.82 million elementary school in Leesburg for fiscal year 2011.
The smaller version of the 2011-2016 CIP omits many projects such as new elementary and middle schools, the Advanced Technology Academy planned in Ashburn, computer lab additions at elementary schools, renovations at Catoctin Elementary School, and the purchase of school sites across the county.
Under Hatrick's $963 million version of the CIP, in addition to the Leesburg elementary school, next year would have seen the construction of an elementary school at Moorefield Station in Ashburn, new science labs for Park View High School and the Advanced Technology Academy.
Because of the budget, those projects will have to be bumped back, meaning projects slated for each of the next six years will be affected.
Public hearings followed by work sessions on on the CIP will be held at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 at the school administration building, 21000 Education Court in Ashburn. The CIP is scheduled to be adopted by the School Board Dec. 8.
Contact the reporter at ecoe@timespapers.com
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