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Bond update

The Board of Education began prioritizing its project list Thursday and will continue discussions of the proposed bond referendum at its March 13 meeeting. The updated list:

Making the cut
* Jamestown Middle, new school, $28.1 million
* Ragsdale High, combine with existing Jamestown Middle and possible facility for autistic students, $28 million
* Special Education West, additional funding for new center, $6.8 million
* Southeast High, classrooms, media center and gym, $28 million
* Summerfield Elementary, classrooms, media center and cafeteria expansion, $15 million
* Southwest High, classrooms, media center and gym, $26 million
* New elementary schools at Alamance and Southeast Guilford, estimated costs to be revised
* Allen Middle, classrooms and auxiliary gym, $7.6 million
* Airport middle and high schools, $100 million
* Improved athletic facilities at Dudley High, Page High, Simeon Stadium, $9 million
* McIver Education Center, renovated for performing arts facility for Weaver Education Center, cost figure to be revised
* Small elementary school to relieve Jesse Wharton and Brightwood areas, $22 million
* More mobile classrooms; HVAC, video surveillance, tennis court and track upgrades, $14 million

Still guessing
* Rebuilding or renovating Hunter Elementary, $17 million?
* Craven school, renovating it for students with autism,$12 million
* Renovating Dudley High for academy, $11.7 million
* Cafeteria expansion and gym renovations at Grimsley, $10 million
* High Point Central, upgraded lighting and technology and gym renovations, $7 million
* Technology upgrades district-wide, $4 million

Likely to get nixed
* McLeansville Elementary, classroom addition, $3.4 million
* Small academy high school for about 300 students, $20 million
* Brooks Global high school academy, renovations at existing school, 49.6 million
* $ 3 million to purchase future school sites
* Guilford Middle, $200,000 demolition of elementary classroom wing and landscaping of area
* $5 million for district-wide fire alarms and sprinklers

Comments (5)

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E.C. Huey said:

From my weblog today:

So Amos Quick doesn’t like the proposed GCS school bond boondoggle because the package doesn’t represent many Greensboro interests. Deena doesn’t like them because she fears minority contractors will not be fairly represented. How about someone stepping up and expressing their dissatisfaction because it opens the door to more waste at Central Office, where much of the existing waste and mismanagement is taking place now? Skip is right…this Board had better start looking at Plan B now, because Plan A is going to be DOA in the fall with the voters.

Take that to the bank.

Stormy said:

* Small academy high school for about 300 students, $20 million

Who's idea was this? That's an investment of $66,667 for each studnet for just the bricks and mortar. Bad idea. Must be one of Grier's. Frankly, I can't even believe that it would even make the list.

mikeg said:

Lets all JUST SAY NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Need leadership said:

What does it say about our leadership when athletic facilities rank higher than fire alarms and sprinklers?

bilked taxpayer said:

*small elementary school to relieve Jesse Wharton and Brightwood areas, $22 million

I have a problem with this one. It may very well be needed; however, the district KNEW Jesse Wharton was going to be over-crowded the day they opened the doors of the "new" Jesse Wharton in 1998. In fact, the board knew it before it was even constructed, yet they chose to ignore all projected future growth (Lake Jeanette was in the midst of its boom), re-districted, and built the school as it was in the plans (they used Pilot Elementary's plans) anyway. When the "new" Jesse Wharton opened, they were "at capacity" with a projection of "over capacity" within 1 to 2 years!
It was another POOR and COSTLY mistake the board and administration makes year in and year out. And yes, I realize that Terry Greir and some board members were not around then. I just don't understand why this district continues to make such costly errors and then boldly ask the taxpayers to foot the bill (and "realize" that their assigned schools will be changed every few years (or every year as is the case in High Point))due to their refusal to listen to their "experts" projections.

In terms of this district, it seems they follow good ol' Ben Franklin's definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting DIFFERENT results.

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