Only Gym, Wood Shop Would Be Added Under Plan
A proposal to relocate middle school students to an addition at Parry McCluer High School could cost roughly $50 million less than building a new standalone school, according to preliminary concepts presented to the Buena Vista School Board last week.
Superintendent Heather Ault said the division’s ongoing programmatic study with RRMM Architects found that nearly all middle school instructional space could be accommodated within the existing high school building, limiting new construction to a combined gymnasium/auditorium addition and a wood shop.
Based on the early concepts, Ault said the approach is about $50 million cheaper than the new-school proposal presented last year.
“It’s important to note that this is not a final or complete plan,” Ault said in an email following the meeting. “This was a macro-level study intended to determine whether relocating middle school students to the high school is a viable option.”
The presentation marked the first public look at the concept. If leaders choose to move forward, detailed de- sign work would follow.
Last June, the joint facilities committee faced sobering numbers when representatives of CPL Architecture concluded that a new school building would cost approximately $69 million. Reducing the plan to a mere building addition puts the upcoming costs closer to the $19 million range, if projections hold fast.
During the Feb. 4 meeting, Ault said the division is preparing to move into the next phase after the facilities committee expressed support for the addition concept.
Two meetings are being scheduled: one to review procurement and financing methods available under Virginia law, and another joint session between the full School Board and the Buena Vista City Council to discuss costs, funding and potential next steps. The joint meeting is tentatively planned for Feb. 24.
City support will be necessary to fund any construction. “They understand it needs to happen,” Ault said in her email. “They understand this is the most cost-effective way we can do it.”
The study comes as the aging Parry McCluer Middle School building continues to face maintenance issues, including repeated heating system failures this winter that required costly repairs.
Officials said renovating the current middle school was previously estimated at about $50 million.
The middle school currently enrolls 123 students, with projections remaining near 130 students over the next several years.
If approved, construction would still take time. At best, new construction could take about two years from the date of approval, according to the study.
Ault said the upcoming joint meeting will allow both boards to review the concept and determine whether to proceed with more detailed planning.
