Members of the ROWVA District 208 School Board on Monday voted to issue $6.4 million in alternate revenue bonds to make major improvements to district buildings.
ROWVA Superintendent Dr. James Dunlap says the board still needs to approve the actual work but work is expected to start in the summer of 2024.
Improvements include updating the air conditioning in the high school.
Currently, the high school has window units that will be replaced so the heat and air will use the same system.
Dunlap says this will allow for better temperature control.
Also, the gym will be getting air conditioning for the first time.
The stage area that’s in the gym will also be getting a makeover, along with the sound system.
Dunlap says the community has often complained that it’s hard to hear using the current system.
The high school will also see a renovated cafeteria with an addition. Dunlap explains that this is to accommodate providing more food options for students in the future.
The cafeteria hasn’t been renovated since it was built in 1973, so Dunlap says the interior will be essentially gutted.
These items are all things Dunlap says he’s heard about since he came to the district two years ago, and some of the things came up in strategic planning which included students.
Dunlap says one of the reasons the district chose to improve these particular areas is “not only does it impact the community but it impacts every student that attends.”
He emphasizes these bonds will not increase the tax rate because they’re alternate revenue bonds.
Dunlaps says in the past ROWVA has typically let their capital projects fund build up and then spend it down.
But with a project this large Dunlap says they decided to issue the bonds and pay them off over 20 years using revenue from the fund.