County schools requesting over $3M in capital outlay

by Billy Todd Staff Writer The Sampson Independent

Sampson County School Board Chairman, Telfair Simpson, center and board member Faye Gay, right, listen as superintendent Dr. Ethan Lenker shares the proposed request from the board to the county commissioners for capital outlay for 2013-2114. (Billy Todd/Sampson Independent)

Sampson County Schools will be seeking just over $3 million in capital outlay money from commissioners for the 2013-14 school year, with the funds designated for such things as roofing needs, increased school safety and general maintenance items, that everything from repaving to enclosing a multi-purpose room.

Although it may seem early to be thinking of the next fiscal budget, for Sampson Countys Board of Education it is not. So during its regular meeting Monday night, superintendent, Dr. Ethan Lenker presented the 2013-14 capital outlay requests to board members who, in turn, gave the green light to move the request on to commissioners.

In his presentation, Lenker said that in order for the commissioners to have adequate time to consider their request prior to budget talks, it was important for the boards requests to be sent in a timely manner.

The superintendent explained that there were three areas that the board had discussed at their retreat and he presented each area for their consideration.

The first area was general capital outlay, which includes items for individual schools, such as enclosing a multi-purpose area for the fourth and fifth grade at Clement Elementary; drainage catch basins; additional exterior lighting and re-paving of the staff parking lot at Hargrove; additional lighting and playground fencing at Hobbton Elementary; additional restroom for the seventh grade at Hobbton Middle and HVAC replacement; HVAC replacement and construction of restroom/locker room facility at Hobbton High; replacement of media floor covering and paving student parking lot at Lakewood; additional fencing for playground at Midway Elementary; installing baseball/softball bleachers, additional fencing, soccer field grading, digital marque, additional athletic field paving, risers for band room at Midway High; additional bus rider canopy and upgrade of playground equipment at Plain View.

At Roseboro Elementary projects requested for funding included a shelter for playground, water fountains for playground and paving for new basketball court; replace computer labs floor coverings at Roseboro-Salemburg Middle; an additional storage building at Salemburg. For Union Elementary, upgrade playground equipment area, upgrade fire panel equipment, HVAC replacements; Union Middle needs included HVAC replacements and home side athletic bleachers. Improvements for the district include mobile classrooms and associated cost, replacement of two vehicles, fire alarm systems upgrades, replacement blinds and furniture, asbestos removal and HVAC replacements.

The total cost of this portion of the capital outlay request is $1,181,500.

Lenker said in the light of recent developments dealing with school security, a need to address safety in the county schools was included in the second area for capital outlay security.

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County schools requesting over $3M in capital outlay