Board OKs plan to build new school

The Washington County Board of Education voted 6-0 to build a new Maugansville Elementary School instead of renovating the curre

March 19, 2003|by PEPPER BALLARD

The Washington County Board of Education Tuesday voted 6-0 to approve plans to replace Maugansville Elementary School with a rebuilt school on adjacent land instead of renovating the existing site for consolidation with Conococheague Elementary School.

Director of Facilities Management Dennis McGee told the School Board that a 127-acre lot southeast of the current Maugansville Elementary School could be bought and used to build a new two-story school, which would be the most cost-efficient way to handle the renovation project and allow space for future expansion.

McGee said building a school on the adjacent land would alleviate flooding problems the current school has experienced. That option would cost the school system $13.04 million, he said.

The approved renovation would save the school system $1 million in construction costs and nearly $1.5 million in operational costs, McGee said.

The Frederick, Md., firm Proffit and Pryor Architects conducted a feasibility study and presented four renovation options to the School Board at its March 4 meeting.

The state requires the school system to conduct a feasibility study for a school renovation project if it intends to tear down more than 25 percent of an existing school, McGee has said.

The School Board voted in February to consolidate Maugansville and Conococheague elementary schools into a renovated Maugansville school.

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