[SchoolMatters] Expected school costs for Biscuit Run

Mon May 28 12:26:02 EDT 2007

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This message is not an official communication of the Albemarle County School
Board. SchoolMatters is a private, e-mail newsletter written by Brian
Wheeler, At-Large Member of the Albemarle County School Board.  This
communication authorized by Brian Wheeler for School Board.
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[Want to share some public comments on this message?  See the weblog version
here: http://schoolmatters.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/05/biscuit_run.html]

I am often asked about the school division's plans to accommodate new
development.  Crozet's growth has been a case in point.  As the White Hall
district continues to lead the way in construction of new single family
detached housing, people ask me--When we are going to build a new elementary
school in Crozet to address overcrowded schools?  When are we going to add
on to Western Albemarle HS?  What are we going to do when Henley (already
expanded to 900 student capacity) fills up?  Who is going to pay for all
these buildings?

Update on where Albemarle is growing:
<http://schoolmatters.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/05/where_is_albema.html>
http://schoolmatters.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/05/where_is_albema.html

Short answers: We are expanding Brownsville elementary starting this year
(the Charlottesville firm VMDO has been selected as the architect).  We have
approved a redistricting to alleviate some overcrowding at Crozet.
Additions to high school capacity and additional elementary schools are in
the long range capital plans. When Henley fills up, we will have to
redistrict students out of the Western feeder pattern.  We are ALL going to
pay for the infrastructure through our property taxes.

When Old Trail Village was approved in Crozet, the school division
calculated an estimate of the number of children that would attend Crozet
schools--A total of 476 students from this one development's 2,200 homes. A
similar calculation has now been done for the Biscuit Run development.  At
3,100 homes, Biscuit Run is the largest development ever to come before
decision makers in Albemarle County.  When fully developed over the next
15-20 years, Biscuit Run is expected to have 738 students attending County
schools in the area around Monticello HS and Cale Elementary.  Unlike Old
Trail, Biscuit Run's developers have proffered the site for a new
neighborhood elementary school.  A similar proffer was made in the North
Pointe development on Route 29 North.  While we will have the land for two
new schools, the community still has to pay to build the infrastructure.
That comes out of the County's capital budget.

In a recent memo from the school division to Assistant County Executive Tom
Foley, school staff put a price tag on the 738 new pupil seats of $19
million.  That represents the one-time capital costs to build adequate
school capacity to accommodate future families living in Biscuit Run.  That
is in 2007 dollars.  

Memo provided to School Board:
<http://www.wheeleronboard.com/docs/20070402BiscuitRun.pdf>
http://www.wheeleronboard.com/docs/20070402BiscuitRun.pdf

The developers are not proffering any contribution to support those capital
expenses.  In fact, the Biscuit Run developers predict Albemarle County is
going to be closing schools as our community attracts more retirees.  They
foresee a graying population and declining enrollments.  

The Albemarle County Planning Commission has already weighed in and
indicated they will not request funding from the developer for middle and
high school capital needs.  I also don't expect the developers to hand us a
check for $19 million to build new schools.  However, per household cash
proffers have been used in the past to mitigate school capital costs.  For
example, every home in Glenmore contributes $1,000 in a one-time proffer
towards school capital projects.  That was from an agreement negotiated in
2000 and funds have been used for projects at Stone-Robinson Elementary and
Monticello HS.  Recent cash proffers for new developments have been
negotiated at about $3,200 per home.  However, after getting a report from
the County's Fiscal Impact Advisory Committee, the Board of Supervisors
determined earlier this month that cash proffers for a single family home
should realistically be about $17,500 to accommodate just the immediate
capital projects for roads, schools, and fire/rescue projects ALREADY in the
capital budget.  That $17,500 figure doesn't include water, sewer, or longer
term capital needs (e.g. what if the new school or road or bridge isn't
already on the ledger to be built in the next 10 years?).  

As I said, there are no per-household cash proffers being proposed for the
Biscuit Run development to address school needs.  The developer's proffers
are currently valued by the County at $30.9 million and are focused on other
priorities like transportation, parks, and affordable housing.  We certainly
need those things too.

The School Board was told last Thursday that the developers were not very
happy to have a price tag of $19 million for schools put on the Biscuit Run
development.  Maybe we haven't made those estimates in advance before, but
the data speaks for itself.  I think we are getting smarter about
recognizing and planning for these costs and the public should be aware that
our decision makers have this information in front of them.  Now it is
available to you too.

The Albemarle County Planning Commission holds a public hearing on Biscuit
Run Tuesday evening, May 29th, starting at 6:00 PM.  

Brian Wheeler

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Brian Wheeler
 <mailto:bwheeler at albemarlematters.com> bwheeler at albemarlematters.com
 <http://www.wheeleronboard.com/> http://www.wheeleronboard.com

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