(South Boston, VA) – A combined panel of Halifax County School Board members and members of the Halifax County Board of Supervisors met Tuesday afternoon to talk about continued progress towards the renovation or replacement of Halifax County High School. The joint facilities committee was brought together with the intent of making a decision with regards to determining how a 1% sales tax that was intended for school construction will be spent.
The biggest question that the committee faces is what will it cost? According to Halifax County Administrator Scott Simpson without raising taxes $110 to $120 Million dependent on inflation. That number will not touch any new revenue according to the article in the Gazette Virginian. The 1% tax is projected to bring in north of $5 million over the next two years.
The funding wouldn’t come without some major changes. The county could close three of its seven elementary schools, Clays Mill, Meadville and Sinai. To make those closures manageable Scottsburg and Sydnor Jennings Elementary Schools would need roughly $37 million in renovations. According to Halifax County Schools Superintendent Mark Lineburg those closures would save the county nearly $7 million in utility savings and nearly $70 million in personnel savings over 30 years.
An existing proposal for an entirely new furnished high school from Branch builds and RRMM Architects is just shy of $119 million. Two members of the committee both from the board of supervisors worried that a new school isn’t the best use of tax dollars and want to explore a renovation proposal on the existing school.
The Halifax County School board before Tuesday’s meeting took place voted to approve a new school but the Board of Supervisors have to approve the finances. According to Lineburg this is why the joint facilities committee was formed. Another meeting will be scheduled to take the next step in their decision-making process but not until public meetings are held to discuss elementary school consolidation.
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