Eastern Henrico school discussed at town meeting

John W. Montgomery Jr.'s nightmare scenario would be that federal stimulus money comes in and only can be used to fund projects that have nothing to do with classrooms.

Montgomery, chairman of the Henrico County School Board, is -- like parents and school administrators across the country -- awaiting word on precisely what the county will be allowed to do with an estimated $14 million in stimulus dollars.

More than 100 Henrico residents gathered last night for a Varina District town meeting at the Henrico Theatre in Highland Springs. After hearing a presentation on the county budget, many voiced views that the county should find a way to speed up construction of a new high school planned for Varina.

"I'm talking about our children here," resident Carol Elrod said. "I don't understand. It would have been better to raise the real estate tax . . . to get planning money for the new school."

Under Henrico's proposed budget for fiscal 2009-2010, the high school project and other renovation projects would be deferred for at least one year.

The county's goals for the budget included no tax increases, no reductions in service and no layoffs.

Montgomery, who spearheaded the charge to move up the planned school from 2013 to 2012, would like to have the county's Board of Supervisors approve planning money so that the project will be shovel-ready if identified stimulus funding comes through.

"We've got to create seats first," he said.

He cited several projects already planned that are designated as shovel-ready, including a career and technical education center at a new high school on Staples Mill Road and two field houses at western Henrico high schools, none of which would address overcrowding and capacity issues.

Eastern Henrico resident Ray Hancock pressed Varina District Supervisor James B. Donati Jr. on the issue of building the new school sooner rather than later.

"Are you going to fight for us?" he asked. "I need to know that you're going to be there for Varina."

Donati assured him that he had Varina's best interests at heart. "But I also have a fiscal responsibility to others in the district. I have a tough road to hoe."

The Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on the budget April 14 at 6 p.m. and is scheduled to vote on the proposed budget April 28.

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