The cost of the high school upgrades Pittsylvania County voters approved in 2007 turned out to be lower than projected, so now the schools have wish lists of projects for the extra money.
County voters passed a $70 million high school renovation bond in November 2007 to revamp the county’s four high schools — Tunstall, Chatham, Dan River and Gretna. But when the school board picked the two firms in November to perform the renovations, the contracts — $28.1 million for Tunstall and Dan River and $27.4 million for Chatham and Gretna — were below cost.
The projects’ expenses also include a $1 million contingency fee, $4.1 million for architecture and engineering and $1.02 million in bond costs, as well as other fees. The two projects add up to $64.28 million, leaving about $5.7 million in extra funds.
The Pittsylvania County School Board’s building committee agreed last week to take the high schools’ wish lists to the full board at its next meeting July 14. If board members OK the requests, the board will approach the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors to propose using the money to pay for added improvements at the high schools, superintendent James McDaniel said.
“We just want to provide for them … options to consider,” McDaniel said.
Coy Harville, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, said he will wait until he sees what the school board proposes before commenting on the matter.
The high schools’ requests total $5.74 million, with Tunstall High School asking for $1.07 million in upgrades including an additional concession stand and bathrooms, improvements to the soccer fields at the middle school for high school use, replacing its baseball, softball and soccer bleachers and other upgrades.
Chatham High School is asking for almost $1.9 million in makeovers, including new lights on athletic fields, additional practice football and soccer field behind the existing football field and other improvements.
Gretna High School seeks a shell building for its auxiliary gym, a storage building, upgrading to its baseball courtyard area behind the school and other touch-ups totaling $1.3 million.
Dan River High School wants a new field house, paving around its athletic complex, replacement of scoreboards on baseball and football fields, new fencing and repair, as well as other revamps totaling $1.4 million.
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