PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. -- Prince William County schools will be trimming the payroll in the upcoming budget thanks to anticipated revenue shortfalls from the county and state and an increase in student population.
But that hasn’t stopped the school division from fast-tracking the need to alleviate overcrowding at some schools. Thanks to unexpectedly low bids to build both T. Clay Wood Elementary School and the new Silver Lake area middle school, the division may push forward the construction of the planned Linton Hall area elementary school by a year.
Originally planned in the school’s 10-year Capital Improvement Plan for 2012, the Linton Hall elementary school could now be opening its doors in 2011, along with T. Clay Wood. The Silver Lake middle school is still scheduled to open in the fall of 2012.
During the last budget work session on March 3, Superintendent Steven L. Walts said the savings of $21 million from the bids was too great not to consider acting now on the Linton Hall school.
The winning bid for Wood by Arlington-based SIGAL Construction was $13.9 million, while the Silver Lake middle school’s winning bid by Caldwell and Santmyer from Berryville was $18.9 million. The division was projecting to pay $19.2 million for Wood and $38.8 million for the new middle school.
The revised CIP will be included in the final proposed budget, on which the Prince William County School Board is expected to vote on March 24.
Currently, several schools in the west end of the county are severely overcrowded. Opening the Linton Hall school would alleviate overcrowding at Bristow Run and Cedar Point Elementary Schools, which are at 148 and 142 percent capacity, respectively.
The newest county schools — Fitzgerald Elementary School in Dale City and Gravely Elementary School and Gainesville Middle Schools in Gainesville — were bid out in 2007 and 2005, respectively.
In February 2007, the winning bids for Fitzgerald and Gravely were $17.58 and $17.25 million, respectively. In May of 2005, the winning bid for Gainesville Middle was $24.98 million.
Staff writer Kipp Hanley can be reached at 703-878-8062.
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