School District to Delay Maintenance Projects

By Melissa Arseniuk

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

After receiving just 30 percent of its requested Capital Asset Preservation Program funding from the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors last week, the School Board last night adopted a drastically modified CAPP plan for fiscal year 2009.

With far less money in hand for CAPP expenditures -- $1,404,000 in all -- the School Board resorted to delaying most of the maintenance work originally scheduled for the coming school year. In 30 instances, the work will not be completed until 2014.

CAPP initiatives include roof, window, plumbing, electrical, heating/air conditioning and structural repairs to school buildings. The CAPP budget was separated from the district's operating budget several years ago so building maintenance wouldn't compete with operating budget expenditures.

Last night's School Board meeting came one day after the board approved $48,737,891 in budget reduction recommendations in the operating budget. Supervisors approved a 19 percent increase in the property tax rate, but that gave the school district about half of its requested increase for fiscal year 2009.

Photo: Melissa Arseniuk

School board members debate reductions to the school district's proposed budget Monday night in Ashburn.

The board decided last night to spend the majority of the CAPP money, $720,000, on roofing projects next year. HVAC-related projects will receive the second-largest amount of money, with $275,000, while resurfacing, structural and electrical repairs will share what remains, with $175,000, $165,000, and $74,000 in planned repairs, respectively. All previously scheduled window and plumbing-related repairs were postponed until future years, when the board hopes to receive a larger portion of its CAPP budget request.

The approved CAPP schedule shows $6,706,000 in existing, planned projects for fiscal year 2010 -- more than 4 1/2 times what supervisors provided the School Board with this year. The School Board's anticipated CAPP expenditures are expected to continue to grow in fiscal year 2011 ($7,745,000) and fiscal year 2012 (6,951,000), as well.

Bob Ohneiser (Broad Run District), a staunch fiscal conservative, said the projections were unrealistic.

"That $6.7 million (for FY 2010) looks pretty unlikely given (the Board of Supervisors') current behavior," he said. "Let's assume … that they're going to violate our request in advance."

J. Warren Geurin (Sterling District) agreed, offering a grim prediction: "We're going to be right back here next year, facing the same, or similar, circumstances."

Assistant Superintendent for Support Services Jeffrey Platenberg assured that pushing back plans would not put students at risk or have an adverse effect on their learning.

"The projects listed (for FY 2009) are those that hold priority to be completed this fiscal year. Some projects may appear questionable, but they have been thoroughly reviewed," Platenberg said, citing the resurfacing of tennis courts at Broad Run High School and replacing a kitchen hood at Lucketts Elementary School as examples.

Superintendent Edgar B. Hatrick III identified the importance of seemingly unimportant improvements slated for immediate attention.

"If you don't seal asphalt, then you have to replace it. … (and) if we're going to have team competition at Broad Run High School, we've got to have the tennis courts," he said before noting the need to maintain a degree of parity in standards and program offerings throughout the county's school system.

"Preventative maintenance does exactly that: it prevents you from having to replace things," he said. "This is money saved if we keep these things in good repair."

Also last night, the board unanimously agreed to abandon the idea of building an elementary school in the East Gate community in the Chantilly area.

About 11 useable acres is currently proffered to the county for public use. But Sam Adamo, director of planning and legislative services for Loudoun County Public Schools, told the board the site is not safe and should not be given further consideration.

Ohneiser, who introduced the motion to reject the East Gate proffer, regretted the land was deemed unsuitable for school use.

"This location would've been good but the site just doesn't work," he said.

Adamo and his staff asserted that the L-shaped site was too small; couldn't accommodate two necessary entrances and exits; and its uneven terrain would require substantial, expensive resurfacing. The proffered land is also located alongside a busy road.

The school district already has spent three years and more than $30,000 assessing the site.

"It's been a drain on staff resources for three years," Chairman Robert F. DuPree (Dulles District) said.

Still, the district was hoping the location would be suitable for a much-needed, currently undesignated Dulles-area elementary school.

"We need about eight elementary sites in the Dulles area, ultimately," DuPree said, "so we're always looking."

And that search continues.

"We definitely need an elementary school to open in 2010 and we will open one in 2010," he asserted. "(But) we're still working on where it's going to be."

Tagged: budget, politics, school board

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