Bond package leaves few dollars for renovations, school leader says

SMITHFIELD — Call it an FYI.

When County Commissioners trimmed the school board’s bond request, they did more than remove one new school from the proposed borrowing package.

“When we had a bond of $285 million, you pulled out Clayton High,” school board Chairwoman Lyn Andrews reminded commissioners on June 10. “That was $113 million.”

That left $172 million in building needs the school board had identified. But commissioners trimmed the bond request even more.

“Now it’s $120 million,” Andrews said of the amount commissioners will put before voters on Nov. 5.

“So that took $55 million away that we had in that bond to do the stuff David Pearce is talking about,”  the chairwoman added.

She was referring to David Pearce, the school district’s assistant superintendent for administrative and auxiliary services. In a presentation to commissioners, he had talked about the need for roughly $90 million to tackle costly school renovation projects like replacing aging heating and cooling systems.

But once the schools pay for classroom additions at a handful of elementary schools, few dollars will remain in the bond issue for new heating and cooling systems and the like, Andrews said. “We are left with maybe $14 million to look at helping out this massive need,” she said.

In his budget for 2024-25, County Manager Rick Hester had recommended a $3 million appropriation for capital projects.

“The $3 million will be spent by August because of the massive needs that we have,” Andrews said.

Still, the school board chairwoman was mindful of the demands commissioners face for taxpayer dollars. “You got a lot of people coming to you for money,” she said. “I know you do, and I understand that we’re just one piece of it.”

And the school board will champion that $120 million bond package, Andrews promised. “It’s done, it’s fine,” she said. “We’re going to promote it. We’re going to get it passed.”

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