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Board Mulls Funding for New Schools: Some Members Dismiss Plan to Divert Funds From Other Projects on Table

Posted on: Tuesday, 13 June 2006, 06:00 CDT

By Harry Franklin, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Ga.

Jun. 13--A recommendation to divert funds from other projects to produce an extra $5.3 million to build two elementary schools came under fire from some members of the Muscogee County School Board on Monday.

The funds will be needed to help build a new Rigdon Road Elementary School and Elementary School No. 6 near Shaw High School.

Superintendent John Phillips said it is crucial that the two schools be built because of growth, and the cost of construction has recently soared to $140-$150 per square foot.

The new Rigdon Road school is projected to cost $13.07 million and Elementary School No. 6 $13.23 million just for construction -- $1 million and $4.3 million, respectively, more than originally needed.

The recommendation proposed by school district officials would divert $852,119 that was to be used to buy school buses; $1.55 million in additional funds intended for heating/air conditioning projects; $1.35 million that was to go toward school security systems across the district; and $1.53 million for roofing projects that will be due in 2010 and 2011 to the school construction projects.

"I have a real concern about security funds being taken out," said board member Joseph Roberson. "I am very objectionable unless I can see evidence... that we are not putting kids at risk. I'm really asking us to look at alternatives to funding these projects."

Board member Pat Hugley Green questioned plans to use some $12 million to build a new school district administrative building with special purpose sales tax money, saying such things take away from the schoolchildren.

"I respectfully disagree," said board Chair Mary Sue Polleys. "As long as I'm here, I'll fight to get an administrative building. It's all going to come down to another SPLOST vote... The administrative building is not to be built until the end of this SPLOST. We didn't plan to build Rigdon Road Elementary out of SPLOST funds. If we don't pass another SPLOST, it's going to be dire circumstances."

Board member Fife Whiteside asked how much it cost to build one of the more recent elementary schools. District Director of Construction Bobby Hecht said about $6.5 million.

"You're saying the cost has gone up in a year from $6.5 million to $11 million?" asked board member Fife Whiteside. "Absolutely," Hecht said.

Whiteside asked him to contact school districts that recently have built schools to find out how much they paid.

In other business, the committees:

-- Recommended the full board vote Monday on final adoption of a $262 million general fund budget for fiscal 2007, after the second and final public hearing on the proposed budget drew no public comment.

-- Recommended the board vote on approving a $7.14 million budget for the Chattahoochee Valley Regional Library System.

-- Recommended the following appointments at -- Ruthie Hamlin, principal of Allen Elementary School; Marvin Crumbs, assistant principal at Columbus High School; Philip Bush, assistant principal at Georgetown Elementary School; Norma Boggs, assistant principal at the new North Columbus Elementary School; Patrick Knopf, half-time assistant principal at River Road Elementary School; Jennifer Barringer, half-time principal at Wynnton Elementary School; Elizabeth Housand, system mentor teacher/secondary for the Professional Learning Department; Mary Lewis and Judith Washington, instructional specialists, Special Education Department; Paula Katz, assistant curator, and Roger Reeves design and production coordinator, Columbus Museum; and Ulus Cumberlander Jr., program coordinator for the Woodall Program.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Ga.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

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