Monday, December 17, 2007

BRAC to bring about 1,200 students to county

There are going to be an estimated 1,200 new students coming into Lee County as a result of BRAC by 2010. That’s according to estimates Lee County Interim Superintendent Dr. Stephen Nowlin received from army officials at a recent BRAC-related meeting.

November 21, 2007

There are going to be an estimated 1,200 new students coming into Lee County as a result of BRAC by 2010. That’s according to estimates Lee County Interim Superintendent Dr. Stephen Nowlin received from army officials at a recent BRAC-related meeting.

Nowlin used those numbers at Tuesday’s meeting of the Lee County Board of Education to illustrate a point.

More students equals less room.

Nowlin told the board that plans to accommodate that growth need to begin as soon as possible.

Nowlin told the board that as the schools are now, there would be no room for those students.

He said four out of five schools in Smiths Station are using portable classrooms in order to hold current students. Smiths Station High School is currently using 40 portables, he added.

“The high school is the most overcrowded,” he said.

While the estimated 1,200 students coming into Lee County are a result of BRAC growth, Nowlin said, normal growth is already having an impact on room as well.

Typical growth for Smiths Station schools is about 50 to 60 new students each year, he said. However, those numbers have been closer to 100 new students for the last several years, he added.

With a little more than two years left to solve the problem, Nowlin urged the board to allow him to move forward with plans to build a new school in Smiths Station, possibly two.

The board agreed, voting unanimously to authorize Nowlin as the interim superintendent to begin planning for a building program. Part of that planning would include looking into hiring an architect and borrowing money to get the job done.

Nowlin said there is currently $20 million available to use toward building costs, but an additional $15 million to $25 million would have to be borrowed.

Earlier this year, voters turned down a proposed tax increase, part of which would have helped the school system cover building costs.

On Tuesday night, Nowlin seemed focused on the future. He said he has already done some preliminary research, including looking into seven years’ worth of attendance data and mapping out students by street addresses.

Some students may need to be rezoned to Beauregard or Beulah, he said.

Nowlin also plans on bringing in outside help from state officials to determine the proper course of action and talk about operating costs for the new facilities.

A tax increase is not currently being considered, but Nowlin said it is not being completely ruled out.

“At this time, we don’t anticipate asking, but we may have to in the future,” he said.

Although time is ticking, Nowlin is optimistic about the outcome.

“I think we have a chance,” he said. “I wish we had six more months, but we don’t. I think we could get it done.”

The board will meet again in January. Nowlin said he hopes to be ready to recommend an architect for the job by then.