York superintendent recommends pushing back new elementary school another year

York County School Division Superintendent Victor Shandor recommended to the School Board moving back the construction of a new elementary school by a year and using trailers at two schools in the meantime.

Saying two locations previously considered in the northern section of the county are too small, Shandor said schools officials are still looking for land for the new school. It is expected to require 15 to 17 acres.

A total of $26.6 million for a new elementary school during the next two years was the largest expense in the proposed Ten Year Facilities Master Plan and Capital Improvement Program presented to the School Board at a work session Monday evening. That includes $3.5 million for the land and architecture and engineering work in 2016-17 and $23 million for construction of the school in 2017-18.

The building of numerous residential developments is increasing the number of elementary school-age children in the county, according to YCSD staff. The proposed plan would put a four-classroom modular unit at Yorktown Elementary School and a six-classroom modular unit at Magruder Elementary School until the new school can be built.

The new school will have a 700-student core capacity and a 500-student classroom capacity.

School Board members originally requested the new school in 2009, board member Mark Medford pointed. Staff estimated it will take 18 months to build once construction starts.

The proposed capital plan, which covers maintenance and building projects, totals $15 million for 2016-17 and $34 million for the following year.

Proposed maintenance projects in 2016-17 include HVAC, roof and window work as well as painting and track resurfacing. Among the most expensive are $4 million to replace HVAC equipment and controls at Tabb Elementary School and $1 million to replace the metal roof at TES, while $2 million will be requested for roof work at the Grafton Middle and High School complex as well as $1.2 million for metal roof replacement at Coventry Elementary School.

The plan also contains $900,000 for next school year for temporary modular classrooms.

The School Board will hold a public hearing on the CIP at its Nov. 23 meeting before taking it up for approval in December. The plan then goes to the Board of Supervisors for inclusion in the county’s budget plan.

Williams can be reached by phone at 757-247-4644.