Where do City Council candidates stand on Heritage High upgrades?

The next Lynchburg school slated for major upgrades is Heritage High School, a project expected to cost as much as $81.2 million. No provisions for that have been made in the city’s budget, which already calls for spending more than $268 million on capital improvements over the next five years. Concerns have been raised over whether the city can handle the additional financial burden of Heritage, as well as what the cost of delaying the project might be.

Do you feel Heritage High should or should not be made a priority in the city’s five-year capital improvement plan? If you feel it should, specify whether you would think changes to the tax rate or cuts/postponements to other projects would be justified in order to accommodate the cost. If you feel it should not, specify when you think the city should move forward on the project or if it should move forward at all.

Mike Gillette, Ward I
“We must maintain our excellent public school system. Great schools satisfy an obligation to our children and support strong economic development. After working this past year to reduce the tax burden on our citizens, however, I would not raise the tax rate for Heritage High. The City’s 2009-2013 capital improvement program already contains over $35 million dollars in school infrastructure work. We should delay work on Heritage until Sandusky Middle is complete, reshuffle school priorities so that the greatest need is met first, and then move forward on a renovation plan that will cost far less than $81.2 million.”

Jim Martin, Ward I
“At this time, I don’t think we have enough information to justify going ahead with the major upgrades. Need to know how much we are spending annually on repairs to maintain the school, are we still able to provide a quality education in the present facility, and does it justify being a higher priority than the upgrades already called for at Sandusky? It appears the only way to pay for Heritage would be by a tax increase which is not currently justified. Heritage has been an issue for years, if that critical why not in the budget earlier?”
Tom Shahady, Ward I
“As an educator I know exceptional education for our community is absolutely critical. Investment into schools invests in the future. We must have state of the art science, math, computer, athletic and arts facilities. My children clearly benefitted from EC Glass and Linkhorne Middle renovations. Heritage High must be a priority in the city’s five-year capital improvement plan. In a proposed 420 million dollar city budget it is a matter of priority and what we value. Applying critical thinking and innovation we can find proper cuts/postponements to justify educating our future generations. Go to http://www.tomshahady.com to read more.”

Ceasor Johnson, Ward II
“As the current chair of the Physical Development Committee of Lynchburg City Council I get to see all the capital projects that the city must pay for and manage. There are over 90 million dollars in capital
project the city must do or maintain over the next few years. Do I feel that Heritage High should be address. Absolutely!!!! A safe place for our children to learn is a major concern of mine. I recently was a part of a vote to built a new Sandusky Middle School, and I will support the Heritage High School project when it comes …”
Note: The remainder of this answer exceeded the 100-word limit set for all responses and as such will not be printed, in accordance with the terms given to each
candidate.

David Johnston, Ward II
“I was not familiar with the condition of HHS so I went for a visit. Principal Dr. Miear spent two hours showing me around and explained in detail the problems he is facing. He also told me that $81 million is the highest of the three different plans that have been put forth. Yes, HHS needs much attention but not at the expense of another capital improvement already deemed a priority. Nor would I favor a tax increase to cover the project. Therefore, the city must begin to plan ahead to deal with this issue in the next 5-10 years.”
Jeff Helgeson, Ward III
“Educating our children is very important. We should make every effort to see they receive the skills they need to be successful. However, measured results in the classroom depend little on capital improvements, and more on dedicated parents and teachers. Our hardworking citizens cannot be burdened with increased taxes to cover the $81 million Heritage upgrade. As one of the most fiscally stressed communities in Virginia, we must prioritize our capital improvements. The school board chose Sandusky Middle as their highest priority. Council has other capital needs such as our aging roads and bridges that we must maintain.”

Nat Marshall, Ward III
“Lynch- burg’s public schools should be the defining institution that sets Lynchburg apart from its neighbors. Our public schools serve as one of the most important reasons why new businesses and key employees are attracted to Lynchburg. Over 30 years ago, a planning committee began deliberations that produced Heritage. Once again we must bring together parents, administrators, teachers, students, and council members to consider our options: minor
renovations, major renovations, or the construction of a new school. Only after their studied review should we make decisions about tax rates, project delays, or re-prioritization/cancellation of other projects.”

Turner Perrow, Ward IV
“Our students deserve facilities that are conducive to learn-ing. According to council minutes, voting to build Sandusky deferred the Heritage project until 2012. A subsequent meeting revealed that building Heritage now could require a 15% increase in real estate taxes — over $5 million annually. The School Board must prioritize large projects for scheduling in a fiscally responsible manner. I would like to build a new Heritage, but I would not agree to a tax increase of that magnitude without a referendum. I would support the project in the future, when we can afford the debt service.”

Marie Waller, Ward IV
“There is no more important item among Council’s responsibility than the quality of education we provide our young people. the high quality of our educational system, a system for which our city is so highly regarded and that encourages families to relocate here, which is essential for our economic development, cannot be maintained with deteriorating facilities. For that reason Heritage High School must now be the top priority in our capital improvement plan. As we learned in the case of E.C. Glass a few years back, the longer we wait, the more it will cost.”

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