School Board gets Division’s First Reading of CIP plan

The School Division found $703,000 dollars from FYI 2108-19 in cost retreiving that the School Board appoved asking the Board of Supervisors if they can roll it over for Capital Improvements. Typically rollover funds go into a fund managed by the Board of Supervisors as school divisions are not allowed to keep extra funds at the end of a budget year.

Years of no money to fix things have taking their toll on facilities and school buses in the division noted, Dr. Lisa Chen, School Superinendent.

So she and facilities director introduced an ambitious plan to catch and renew the CIP program in Botetourt County Public Schools. As in yesterday’s First 100 days, it may be better just to look at the power point.

First the roll over funds:

This is the first reading to the School Board of the 5 year CIP Plan presented at the Thurs. Nov. 13 meeting. It is broken down by year and totals over $24,436,000.

Dr. Chen is interested in not having schools and administrators raising funds for playground equipment as is currently the case with Boosterthons across the division in elementary schools. It takes time away from instruction and other duties. She spoke of keeping things equitable in technology from the newest school comparative to the oldest, so that all students have the same opportunities.

She addressed transportation. The average age of a Botetourt County School bus is 17 years old. She spoke of a Security System in the vestibule where visitors present a Driver’s License for instance. That type of security is available at most divisions in the Roanoke Valley to insure student safety. Facility maintenance and Capital Improvements weigh-in as the bulk of the five year plan.

— Story and photos Cathy Benson