West Virginia School Building Authority Story Archives

SBA Makes History With $150 Million Funding

The state’s School Building Authority made history on Wednesday supplementing needy school districts statewide while bringing about a potential end to concerns over a nearly half billion-dollar federal clawback.

The state’s School Building Authority made history on Wednesday supplementing needy school districts statewide while bringing about a potential end to concerns about a nearly half billion-dollar federal clawback.

Applause cascaded through the unusually packed School Building Authority (SBA) meeting when Gov. Jim Justice announced $150 million in funding. This money, recently approved by the legislature, is in addition to the $111 million already designated for 2024 school construction projects.

Usually the SBA has to make limited funding decisions on which school district can replace failing infrastructure, enhance school safety protocols, or upgrade education technology. This is the first time in its history the SBA could say yes to every school district request.

Authority executive director Andy Neptune said school district superintendents who thought their requests had been rejected were elated.

SBA Executive Director Andy Neptune reads off school districts with project funding approved. *Photo by Randy Yohe/West Virginia Public Broadcasting.*

“To be able to give the money, the finance that we’re going to give to them today, to get their projects done, I know is a big burden lifted off of them from the personal conversations that I’ve had with them,” Neptune said.

Sitting in to chair the meeting, Justice told the story of a Berkeley County grade schooler’s reaction on Tuesday to learning he was getting a new school building. The student told Justice, “Thanks for making me feel happy.” Justice also said the $150 million, coupled with other state education funding, will help see a U.S. Department of Education waiver granted. He said that will remove the threat of a near half billion-dollar federal clawback regarding state education spending during the pandemic.

“That’s not going to happen,” Justice said. “There’s not going to be a clawback, unless people go back on their word and everything. And I feel all the assurances that that’s not going to happen.”

The bonus dollars also let the SBA approve major improvements and needs projects rejected in the past funding cycle.

For a listing of SBA school district project requests granted at today’s meeting, click here,

SBA Awards Money For School Construction, Renovation

The West Virginia School Building Authority announced Monday $111,687,534 is headed to 19 counties for Fiscal Year 2024.

The West Virginia School Building Authority announced Monday $111,687,534 is headed to 19 counties for Fiscal Year 2024. This is the largest single year award from the SBA in more than a decade.

The money will be used to construct 10 new schools and perform major renovations on 13 existing schools.

“I am truly proud to vote for this historic investment in our schools, because it represents our unwavering commitment to providing West Virginia students with the best possible learning environment,” Gov. Jim Justice, as chairman of the SBA, said. “This funding doubles down on our belief that every student deserves access to a high-quality education. These new and upgraded facilities will ensure our students have the resources and technology needed to succeed in the classroom and beyond.”

The biggest single award goes to Wyoming County for construction of the new Mullens PK-8 school. The school system will receive $15.7 million.

Six of the counties are receiving money for new school construction.

Berkeley County is receiving $8.3 million, but that is one of three annual payments for a total of $25 million for the construction of a primary and intermediate school.

Counties receiving funds to build new schools include:
Berkeley — $8,333,333
To be used for construction of a new primary and intermediate school. This is a multi-year commitment with the same recurring payment over three years for a total award sum of $25,000,000.

Wood — $9,309,647
To be used for construction of three new schools: Lubeck Elementary, Vienna Elementary, and North Parkersburg Elementary. This is a multi-year commitment with the same recurring payment over three years for a total award sum of $27,928,940.

Wyoming — $15,711,654
To be used for construction of the new Mullens PK-8 School.

Fayette — $15,625,860
To be used for construction of the new Midland Trail Elementary School.

Taylor — $7,306,600
To be used for construction of the new Anna Jarvis Elementary School.

Marshall — $9,213,555
To be used for construction of the new Benwood-McMechen Elementary School.

Counties receiving funds to renovate existing schools include:
Harrison — $5,842,600
To be used for additions and renovations at Nutter Fort Primary School and Simpson Elementary School.

Grant — $4,755,330
To be used for additions and renovations at Petersburg Elementary School.

Jackson — $13,547,398
To be used for additions and renovations at Ripley Middle School.

Greenbrier — $6,707,058
To be used for additions and renovations at Frankford Elementary School.

Mason — $1,249,000
To be used for upgrades at Roosevelt Elementary School.

Logan — $3,000,000
To be used for foundational and structural upgrades at Logan County Middle School.

Randolph — $558,110
To be used for a partial roof replacement at Elkins Middle School.

Calhoun — $4,839,829
To be used for renovations at Calhoun Middle/High School.

Morgan — $367,100
To be used for renovations at Berkeley Springs High School.

Hancock — $987,720
To be used for renovations at Oak Glen Middle School.

Gilmer — $724,693
To be used for renovations at Gilmer County High School.

Tucker — $1,965,945
To be used for wastewater treatment plant upgrades for Tucker County High School.

Barbour — $1,642,102
To be used for renovations at Philippi Elementary School.

School Building Authority Listens To School Proposals This Week

Wyoming County School’s Diedre Cline is one of 27 school superintendents making NEEDS Project Presentations this Monday and Tuesday. These school districts are vying for millions in state funds.

Cline is requesting the SBA approve funding of nearly $16 million to help build a new PK-8 school in Mullens. The new school would combine and replace two subpar, unsound buildings. Mullens Elementary was built in 1951 and the wood framed, fire hazard Mullens Middle School, built in 1928.

“Both buildings are seriously ending their lives, so to speak, as buildings do,” Cline said. “Wooden structures can become dangerous. This my eighth year as superintendent and that’s been a worry, more than anything else I’ve worried about. We want to do better by the children in Wyoming County.”

Cline said the state funds would be used in partnership with a local bond share of nearly $9 million.

‘Our county citizens have supported education in Wyoming County for decades,” Cline said. “We’ve actually had an excess levy passed by the citizens of Wyoming County every time it’s come up every five years since 1927.”

The SBA’s square footage cost allowance, stymied by the pandemic and inflation, was recently raised from $300 dollars to about $440 per square foot.

SBA Executive Director Andy Neptune said the new allowance should diminish, if not eliminate, the construction project budget overruns that the authority can no longer afford to supplement. Now, any costs beyond the allocated state funds will have to be paid by the county.

“We have gone back and talked to those superintendents,” Neptune said. “They’re the ones that deal with the architects and the engineering firm. We said tighten this up, because supplemental funds will not be there. I think that they’re prepared for that.”

Cline said Wyoming County is more than prepared to stay within a sound construction budget. She says if something unforeseen happens, the county taxpayers will cover the tab.

Find the school district NEEDS project proposals here. The SBA will vote Dec. 11 on which projects get funded.

W.Va. Budget Surplus Spending Destinations Defined

In a Wednesday media briefing, Gov. Jim Justice and Revenue Secretary Dave Hardy defined, and added to, earlier released details on how the state will spend some of its more than $1.8 billion budget surplus.

Hardy said a little over $1.1 billion is designated as surplus section spending. He said that covers 32 different 2023 budget items passed by the legislature and signed by the governor.

He said $40 million goes to the School Building Authority to cover the inflationary rise of school building costs, and $125 million toward the construction of a new consolidated state laboratory.

“Our state laboratories are deficient,” Hardy said. “Our state police, our health department and our agricultural secretary have all stated that our laboratories are ancient and obsolete.”

Hardy made note that another $282 million is set aside for deferred maintenance for state colleges, universities and correctional facilities.

“This is taking the benefit of the surplus and applying it to deferred maintenance, that’s gone on sometimes 20 or 30 years that it’s been neglected,” he said.

Hardy said $400 million goes to the personal income tax reserve fund, to pay income tax refunds as they come due. Other items include a one-time $50 million payment to the West Virginia University Cancer Institute and $29 million to the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg.

“The surplus section has become the way that we take the benefit of holding down our expenses, holding down our base budget, waiting till the fiscal year is over and then allocating dollars toward unmet needs,” Hardy said.

Find a more detailed listing of Fiscal Year 2023 surplus section spending here.

W.Va. Senators Debate Costs For Requiring Water Bottle Stations In Schools

West Virginia senators signed off on a bill Friday that would require water bottle filling stations in all newly built public schools. SB 246 would also require older school buildings to install them if they are undergoing major renovations.

The stations are a little different from traditional water fountains. They would have filtered water and be better designed to fill a student’s water bottle.

The bill has no fiscal note, though, and would not be paid for by the state. County school boards would need to come up with the funds on their own.

This was an issue for Senate Minority Leader Stephen Baldwin, D-Greenbrier, who said the bill puts an undue cost burden on counties and takes away local control.

“This is [for] a very good purpose,” Baldwin said. “We want our students to be healthier, but if we set this precedent with these unintended consequences, then when do we stop?”

Baldwin said the West Virginia School Building Authority testified in committee that construction costs in schools have gone up in recent decades, and a main reason for it is due to unfunded state and federal mandates.

Sen. Amy Grady, R-Mason, is a public school teacher and is the lead sponsor of the bill. She argued that many schools already have water bottle filling stations, and the cost for installing new ones would be small.

“The building designers who build the schools in this state said that this cost will be fractions of pennies,” Grady said. “For instance, a $10 million renovation would be a $350 cost.”

SB 246 passed 26-3, with one Republican, Sen. Dave Sypolt of Preston County, voting against the bill. The legislation now awaits consideration in the House of Delegates.

West Virginia Agency OKs Funds for School Building Projects

The West Virginia School Building Authority has voted to fund more than $72 million in facilities projects statewide.

Monday’s vote includes construction and renovation projects for public school systems in 19 counties.

Among the funding is $11 million for construction of a new prekindergarten through eighth-grade school in the Monroe County community of Peterstown. It includes an additional commitment of more than $10 million next year.

Fayette County will receive $6.6 million along with a commitment for similar funding next year to upgrade and renovate its school system.

Also included are more than $9 million each for improvements in Clay and Ohio counties.