Wythe County School Board comes up with new plan for renovation combining schools

WYTHEVILLE (WSLS 10) - Wythe County Schools released a new capital improvement plan to renovate or rebuild four schools, which comes after the county's board of supervisors requested precise details about the school district's vision, including cost timeline and the changes that would be made to the schools.

The Wythe County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jeff Perry and school board members asked the board of supervisors for $60 million that would go to rebuilding and renovating two high schools, one middle school and one elementary school.

In order to get the green light from the board of supervisors, Perry said the new plan would be split into phases.

First, would be the construction of the George Wythe High School. Next, would be to build a new Scott Memorial Middle School on the current site for George Wythe High. Thirdly, begin construction of the new Spiller Elementary School and lastly, renovate Fort Chiswell High School.

Perry said the first item that needs to be addressed is the new George Wythe High School being built.

On Thursday, Perry said the schools will ask the board of supervisors for about $20 million to fund the first part of the plan.

The school board agreed one way to help pay for the new school high school is increase property taxes by 3.5 percent, or about $35 dollars a year.

"For less than $3 a month, or a Big Mac, we would be able to build a new high school and we think clearly, the board of supervisors and the school board and we would have a responsibility to make sure we are good stewards of the county's money " Perry said.

In a response to the schools plan, the board of supervisors said in an email, "The Wythe County Board of Supervisors fully recognizes the importance of a well funded school system and currently fund Wythe County Public Schools far beyond the state required amount."