The rising costs of construction materials may force the Fayette County Board of Education to build only one new scaled-down elementary school instead of two in the next few years.

The board heard the sobering news during Monday night’s workshop meeting. In 2004, the voters approved a $65 million bond referendum that would include two new elementary schools, but that may no longer be feasible.

Superintendent of Education John DeCotis told the board that school officials are trying to establish a construction timeline, and if a new school is going to open in 2008, the system needs to let the architects get started on drawings for the facility.

The decision to build a new school involves issues ranging from existing school capacity, location of the school and the system’s existing prototype for elementary school.

Director of Facility Services Mike Satterfield told the board that “pull-out” classes have a profound impact on each school’s capacity. Pull-out classes are extra classes, such as strings, band and special education that are not funded by state dollars.

Satterfield presented the board with floor plans for each of the school detailing the different classes offered at each facility. At Braelinn Elementary, the state capacity is 662 and there are currently 496 students enrolled. But the school has 16 pull-outs, including seven special education classrooms, an additional computer lab and a strings class that puts the school at capacity.

“The state allows us 594 instructional units in the elementary schools, but we currently have 731 units,” he said.

Board member Lee Wright agreed the county goes beyond the state’s specifications, but said it may become necessary to evaluate what pull-out classes are needed at each school and combine some of the classes into one classroom.

“Some of those students are not in there all day,” said board member Marion Key.

DeCotis added another factor in the school’s capacity is the system’s commitment to keeping class sizes smaller than the state average.

Wright added the system might have to consider redistricting to make sure all the schools are at capacity.

Construction manager Klaus Darnell delivered the devastating news about rising construction costs.

Since Crabapple Elementary was built, the costs have soared from $70 a square foot to more than $120 a square foot. The budget for the new elementary school was $8.2 million in the bond referendum, but current costs would increase to $12.4 million.

The current school prototype is just over 94,000 square feet, but Darnell expects savings from the Bennett’s Mill project to be around $1 million. If the school system eliminated eight classrooms, he felt sure that he could build the school with the bond funding and the savings.

The school system currently owns land near Inman and has an offer for a school site in the Centennial development in Peachtree City.

“I’d like to hear what the taxpayer has to say. I just don’t think Centennial is where we need the school now,” said board member Janet Smola.

The Centennial site on Peachtree City’s northwest side also presents a problem since it only offers one entrance, and the school system prefers having an alternate exit site at each school.

The system is also looking for a site in northern Fayette County, but has not secured one yet,

With more questions left unanswered concerning the bond issue, the board decided to allow the architect to proceed with drawings for a new school that would feature eight fewer classrooms. At its regular meeting Nov. 13, the board is expected to pick a site for the school.

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