Press release:
Public Input Sought On School Facilities: First In A Series Of Presentation and Forum Sessions
During its upcoming meeting on March 6 at Brevard High School, the Transylvania County Board of Education welcomes the public for the first in a series of extended opportunities to discuss the facilities needs for Transylvania County Schools.
The regularly scheduled meeting begins at 6:30, with a one-hour discussion that welcomes public input on the findings of the board’s facilities master plan.
New or upgraded facilities to support the learning needs of Transylvania County’s students have been a topic of discussion for several years, said Dr. Jeff McDaris, Superintendent of Schools.
“As a central point of pride in our community, the quality of our school facilities shapes how the public views Transylvania County and Transylvania County Schools,” McDaris said. “Giving our students the chance to succeed means providing schools that are welcoming and make them feel secure, and work around the way students learn in the 21st century–through experiential education, collaboration, and connectivity.”
While facilities are routinely upgraded to address changing needs, some structures are in greater need of maintenance or new construction to help students learn safely and effectively. The main part of Brevard High School was built in 1959. Rosman Middle School was built in the late 1940s, and Rosman High School was built in 1975-76.
To assess the school district’s facilities needs, the Board of Education commissioned reports in 2014 and 2015 from Clark Nexsen Architecture and Engineering, and the Operations Research and Education Laboratory (OREd)/Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE) at North Carolina State University.
Based on the findings, McDaris said the Board of Education is seeking to maximize the benefits for students while keeping costs low to minimize the impact for taxpayers.
“Our Board has received a plan proposal designed around the needs of our students,” McDaris continued, “We have reviewed the work done by the facilities study to potentially reduce the overall cost to taxpayers from $118 million to $95 million, by making it as lean and impactful as possible. We also know that as time progresses, however, construction costs will continue to rise. Our board members welcome public input, which is very important to move this process forward.”
The Board of Education will provide a similar one-hour public input session regarding the facilities master plan at their March 20, at Rosman High School starting at 6:30 p.m. Other opportunities will be advertised as information becomes available.
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