RFP Staff
♦ With dwindling funding available and future financial uncertainty, Rowan-Salisbury School System needs to revisit its priorities for capital needs. Although contracting with SF+a Architects to build a new Knox Middle School and a new West Elementary School for $34 million leaving $6.5 million for a Central Office appears to fit into their total budget, there are many “options” not included in the construction costs, many of which a closer inspection would define as essentials, not options, such as flag poles, security access controls, and fire extinguisher cabinets. In addition, it is likely that construction of the Central Office will exceed it’s allocated budget of $6.5 million for a variety of reasons including recent demands for windows instead of a firewall on one side of the building which would require purchase of additional parcels from the site’s next door neighbor.
The reality is that the current budget of $40.5 million allocated by the county for the three major capital expenditures will not be enough to complete all three projects at this time, and delaying the projects will only add to the uncertainty of them fitting into a future budget due to both construction and interest rate inflation.
Along with many in the county, we believe the focus should be on Knox Middle School and a new West Elementary School. This does not mean the needed Central Office should be dismissed. There may be a way to accomplished all three construction initiatives. The formula for this is to petition the County Commissioners to modify their agreement with the Board of Education to allow them to reallocate part of the $6.5 million dedicated to the Central Office to their budget for Knox Middle School and a consolidated West Elementary School. Since the minimal cost to build Knox Middle School is about $2 million more than their allocated budget, the board could put the Central Office in the most economical location, the West End Plaza with its adequate space, parking and excellent accessibility and use the $2 to $3 million savings to supplement the Knox Middle School budget. We understand this compromises a new Central Office on 504 North Main, but like some things in life, its better to make compromises to get what we need if not what we want.
