Consultants: New Elementary School Best Option For Charlotte County

    The evidence has been weighed. All of the numbers have been crunched. Now, the verdict is in. Dewberry, the engineering consultant firm that was hired to provide the Charlotte County Board of Supervisors with an “Option 4,” (renovate Eureka School) to be considered with the other three options of how to solve the elementary school issue, gave its official, final recommendation at the August 11 Board of Supervisors meeting. According to the well-known firm that specializes in consultations like this, the “best long term solution” is the construction of one brand new, 950-student elementary school in Charlotte Court House. One of the reasons for the decision was that a new school in Charlotte Court House would be a more centralized location for nearly all parents and attending students, thus providing equal travel time for all. Other reasons for the decision were really more of a matter of common sense. For instance, a new school will last longer than a renovated building. The newly designed sloped roof that would grace the top of the new elementary school will solve the water leak issues that have plagued the old Eureka Elementary almost since it was built. One of the most cost efficient reasons for building a new elementary school in Charlotte Court House was that transportation costs would increase, according to the Dewberry Report, approximately $81,000, to transport all elementary students to Eureka School as opposed to Charlotte Court House.

When  Charlotte County Administrator R.B. Clark asked School Superintendent Nancy Leonard, who was at the meeting for technically an unrelated matter, what her recommendation in the matter was, her answer was sure and firm. “The School Board recommends that the county build a new elementary school.” A recommendation was made and passed by the Board of Supervisors that Mr. Ted Cole of Davenport & Company attend the September meeting of the Board of Supervisors to offer advice on how to take the steps to begin to raise the $24,251,306 that it is estimated that the new elementary school will cost.

Other news of the August meeting involved a gift conveyed to the County Board of Supervisors by Bill Tharpe of approximately one third of an acre of land that has been designated for sidewalk construction. The unanimous opinion was that the gift was greatly appreciated by the county.