School E-mail February 28, 1996

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Subj: Schools Update
Date: 96-02-28 09:40:56 EST
From: James.C.Klagge@bev.net (James C. Klagge)

Dear Voters,

If you want to try to influence the supervisors to support some or all of the school board budget, THIS IS THE BEST WEEK TO DO IT. By the end of this week they will have come to some consensus about what they want to do--so they are still in the formative stages. Write a letter or call TODAY. (By March 7th they will announce what is the largest tax increase that they will consider. Then that will be a subject for further public debate in March.)

I hope you will read today's Current section of the Roanoke Times. It describes how the supervisors, on Monday, changed their mind and recinded the condemnation proceeds to acquire 40 acres of land to build a new elementary school (and space for future expansions including recreational facilities that the community can use) in Riner. They asked the school board to plan for 20 acres instead. After three hours of deliberations last night, the school board decided to stick with its request for 40 acres and reexplain its justification. It was based on a Facilities Use & Space Study that was commissioned by the supervisors and incorporated community input from Riner on what it would like its school facilities to look like over the next 10 to 20 years. The article quoted Barry Worth's reactions (school board member who represents Riner) and I completely agreed with what he said. This is a complicated issue, but I just want you to know what is happening. In my opinion, the school board is basing its proposals, for budgets and school building, on careful long-range planning. I think we need more of that in this county.

The Riner issue is really relevant to everyone in the county, because the school board has a long range plan that involves building or remodeling school facilities in all parts of the county. The FIRST phase of this includes the Riner elementary school, a high school in Shawsville, the Blacksburg Middle school, and the Christiansburg Middle school. How the Riner planning gets handled will doubtless set a precedent for how planning gets treated in other areas of the county.

I think the Current section is a very good source of information about school board and county issues, so I recommend that for keeping up to date on issues. I will pass on more of my views about the Riner issue as that becomes possible.

Thanks for your interest,

Jim Klagge

email: admin@gisone.com