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Cement pipes are shown being unloaded this past summer near the site of where the new Bester School will be built. (File photo / December 27, 2012) |
‘West City’ property
May 23-present — The Washington County Board of Commissioners voted May 23 to approve the purchase of a 16.5 acre tract in the Hager’s Crossing housing development, behind Walmart, for a new “West City” elementary school that will replace the aging Conococheague and Winter Street elementary schools.
The commissioners voted 3-2 to approve a sale contract for almost $1.6 million with Hagers Crossing Multifamily LLC that was contingent upon meeting legal requirements.
The school board voted on Aug. 7 to close Conococheague and Winter Street elementary schools after the 2015-16 school year, upon completion of a new “West City” elementary school. The new school could be big enough to ease overcrowding at neighboring elementary schools through redistricting.
On Sept. 18, the commissioners again voted 3-2 to buy the land behind Walmart for the new school. The disagreement was primarily over the cost of the 16.5 acres.
Before and after the commissioners voted to buy the land, the elected body took some public criticism over the purchase price for the land.
In October, the attorney for Hagers Crossing Multifamily said his clients, partners David Lyles and Doug Moul, were subjected to personal attacks and anonymous threats concerning the sale of the property for almost $1.6 million. Hagers Crossing Multifamily purchased the property from a holding company in 2011 for $525,000. Attorney Jason Divelbiss said the purchase price was for $900,000 less than the asking price for the land.
The school system is working on specifications for the new “West City” elementary school.
Central office
June 5-present — Washington County Public Schools system officials continued to investigate long-term options for housing the school system’s administrative offices.
On June 5, the Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution proposed by board member Justin Hartings, now board president, that gave the superintendent a Dec. 31, 2012, deadline to report to the board on several long-term solutions for housing the school system’s administrative offices.
There also has been a push, dating back at least 12 years, by community and business leaders for the school system to move its administrative offices to downtown Hagerstown to help revitalize the downtown.
The Greater Hagerstown Committee has a Downtown Task Force that has been investigating various ideas for a downtown office building for the school system.
While the board has not said it would necessarily take action on the options, at its Dec. 11 meeting board members took steps to get more information. Staff will create specifications for office space for the operations now housed at the Commonwealth Avenue administrative complex and the board might have a work session in February so its members and staff can share their thoughts on what they think is needed for the office space.
The Commonwealth Avenue complex consists of several older buildings, some dating to 1938, and has a mazelike layout. As of June, the administrative centers, including a nearby building at 701 Frederick St., had an estimated $4,757,000 in deferred maintenance, although most of that is for the Commonwealth Avenue complex.
The superintendent’s report, presented to the board on Dec. 11, included options ranging from an estimated $4 million to buy the former Allegheny Energy headquarters building on Downsville Pike to $16 million to build a new facility, possibly on the Commonwealth Avenue property. Cost estimates were not complete.
Nurses in schools
June 5 — The Washington County Board of Commissioners cut $3.3 million from a county health department program that provides nurses in public schools.
The commissioners rejected two other options to offset the $3 million the county needed to pay for its share of teacher pension costs. The state began passing along a share of teacher pension costs to local governments with the fiscal year that began July 1, 2012. The other two options the county administrator presented were to raise the property tax or taper off payments to the county employee pension fund.
May 23-present — The Washington County Board of Commissioners voted May 23 to approve the purchase of a 16.5 acre tract in the Hager’s Crossing housing development, behind Walmart, for a new “West City” elementary school that will replace the aging Conococheague and Winter Street elementary schools.
The commissioners voted 3-2 to approve a sale contract for almost $1.6 million with Hagers Crossing Multifamily LLC that was contingent upon meeting legal requirements.
The school board voted on Aug. 7 to close Conococheague and Winter Street elementary schools after the 2015-16 school year, upon completion of a new “West City” elementary school. The new school could be big enough to ease overcrowding at neighboring elementary schools through redistricting.
On Sept. 18, the commissioners again voted 3-2 to buy the land behind Walmart for the new school. The disagreement was primarily over the cost of the 16.5 acres.
Before and after the commissioners voted to buy the land, the elected body took some public criticism over the purchase price for the land.
In October, the attorney for Hagers Crossing Multifamily said his clients, partners David Lyles and Doug Moul, were subjected to personal attacks and anonymous threats concerning the sale of the property for almost $1.6 million. Hagers Crossing Multifamily purchased the property from a holding company in 2011 for $525,000. Attorney Jason Divelbiss said the purchase price was for $900,000 less than the asking price for the land.
The school system is working on specifications for the new “West City” elementary school.
Central office
June 5-present — Washington County Public Schools system officials continued to investigate long-term options for housing the school system’s administrative offices.
On June 5, the Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution proposed by board member Justin Hartings, now board president, that gave the superintendent a Dec. 31, 2012, deadline to report to the board on several long-term solutions for housing the school system’s administrative offices.
There also has been a push, dating back at least 12 years, by community and business leaders for the school system to move its administrative offices to downtown Hagerstown to help revitalize the downtown.
The Greater Hagerstown Committee has a Downtown Task Force that has been investigating various ideas for a downtown office building for the school system.
While the board has not said it would necessarily take action on the options, at its Dec. 11 meeting board members took steps to get more information. Staff will create specifications for office space for the operations now housed at the Commonwealth Avenue administrative complex and the board might have a work session in February so its members and staff can share their thoughts on what they think is needed for the office space.
The Commonwealth Avenue complex consists of several older buildings, some dating to 1938, and has a mazelike layout. As of June, the administrative centers, including a nearby building at 701 Frederick St., had an estimated $4,757,000 in deferred maintenance, although most of that is for the Commonwealth Avenue complex.
The superintendent’s report, presented to the board on Dec. 11, included options ranging from an estimated $4 million to buy the former Allegheny Energy headquarters building on Downsville Pike to $16 million to build a new facility, possibly on the Commonwealth Avenue property. Cost estimates were not complete.
Nurses in schools
June 5 — The Washington County Board of Commissioners cut $3.3 million from a county health department program that provides nurses in public schools.
The commissioners rejected two other options to offset the $3 million the county needed to pay for its share of teacher pension costs. The state began passing along a share of teacher pension costs to local governments with the fiscal year that began July 1, 2012. The other two options the county administrator presented were to raise the property tax or taper off payments to the county employee pension fund.
