County defers Kettle Run contract

After a lengthy and emotional debate Wednesday, the Prince William County School board postponed a vote to award a construction contract for the county's eleventh high school, to be built in the Linton Hall area.

The board will now vote on the contract at their next meeting on Jan. 7.

The school, tentatively called Kettle Run, is planned to relieve overcrowding at high schools in the western end of the county.

This year, Battlefield High School in Haymarket is at 133 percent capacity and Brentsville District High School in Nokesville is at 141 percent capacity, making them the two most overcrowded high schools in the county.

School staff members recommended awarding the contract to Hess Construction Company of Gaithersburg, Md., for $70.7 million, the lowest bid received.

About half of the school board members said they were uncomfortable approving the contract before they had more information about the school division's budget situation for the upcoming fiscal year.

The other half of the board members said the school division can't afford to wait to build the new school, which has already been delayed because of budget concerns.

At Wednesday's meeting, Darren Timothy, whose children currently attend Bristow Run Elementary School, asked the School Board to approve the contract.

"It's been delayed repeatedly," Timothy said. "In a way it's felt a bit like Charlie Brown having the football away from us repeatedly."

David Cline, associate superintendent for finance and support services, told the School Board that the school can remain on schedule if the contract is approved at their next meeting. Otherwise, completion of the high school could be pushed back, he said.

Cline also said school officials had projected that the high school would cost $82 million to build. But the construction bids came in below that amount, partly because of declining costs.

The high school will be funded through bond sales and over the course of 20 years, Cline said. In the fiscal 2010 budget, $1.4 million would be needed to fund the high school.

Several board members said they didn't oppose the new high school, but wanted to get more information about forecasts for the fiscal 2010 budget and other upcoming capital improvement projects before voting on the contract.

"I have a problem tonight voting on this amount of money when we really don't know what our financial situation is. We really don't know what our budget is going to be; we really don't know what the governor is going to propose to cut," Betty Covington (Dumfries) said.

Based on Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's budget for fiscal 2010, released Wednesday, Cline estimated that the school division will get $28 million less from the state next year than they got this year.

Other board members maintained that the school division cannot afford to wait to approve the contract and begin construction on the new school.

"I feel that it is important that we show our commitment to our students and our families to providing a quality educational environment for them," said Gil Trenum (Brentsville).

Staff writer Amanda Stewart can be reached at 703-878-8014.