Referring to a committee discussion and recommendation, the Williamsburg-James City County School superintendent said there’s a clear indication the James Blair Middle School property is ideal for a fourth middle school location.
WJCC enrollment projections defined a need for an additional middle school by the 2017-18 school year. The board voted last fall to look into needs for a new school and administrative space, and a 17-person committee met for the first time in February to research construction, expansion and other possibilities.
The committee met three times to discuss options for a new school by evaluating flexibility in design, sustainability and school size: The future middle school will need to meet changing trends in teaching and learning, incorporate energy-efficient elements and accommodate no more than 950 students.
After reviewing seven options, the committee recommended three options to Superintendent Steven Constantino. At Wednesday’s meeting, Constantino shared the three committee recommendations but said he did not yet have enough information to make a recommendation of his own.
The three committee recommendations were to construct a new James Blair Middle School behind the existing school used as administrative space on the current James Blair site; demolish the existing James Blair Middle School and rebuild it on the same site; or redesign and expand the existing James Blair Middle School.
The cost estimate for a new school on the James Blair site is $39 million, whether it is constructed behind the existing school or in place of it once demolished. Demolition fees would be additional and estimates were not available Wednesday. Redesigning and expanding the school would cost roughly $35 million.
“The cost associated with either building a new school or redesigning the school that sits on the property are relatively close,” Constantino said. He explained the $4 million difference may not sound close, but there could be energy costs that nullify the savings.
Constantino wants to know whether preserving the existing building rather than building a newer, more energy-efficient would be the best course of action. If the existing building is used for a school, the administrative offices would have to relocate.
In about eight weeks, Constantino plans to make a recommendation to the board.
The original timeline for the middle school project called for the board to make a decision by September this year, but a cushion was worked into the timeline so the board has leeway to make its decision as late as October.
Other options for the new school included building additions onto the three existing middle schools; constructing a new school on a currently owned site; or constructing on a site purchased for the school; or renovate and use the existing James Blair Middle School without expanding it. Costs for the other options ranged from more than $13 million to expand the three existing middle schools to more than $45 million to purchase new land and construct a new school.
Other Board Business
Constantino was reappointed to a new four-year contract effective July 1 through June 30, 2017.
“I think this is a sure sign from this board to the community that we’re going in the right direction and Dr. Constantino will lead us in that direction,” said board member Jim Kelley (James City County Jamestown District).
A new GPS system lease contract was approved for the district’s school buses. The new system will aid in managing work schedules, monitoring bus safety and provide parent access. In addition to the typical route mapping of a GPS, this system would also track idle time, speed, hardware issues, railroad crossing compliance, stop and arrival information, unsafe driving and more.
The board will meet for work sessions at 7 p.m. July 16 and Aug. 6.
