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Editorial
It’s been 23 years since the “new” Parry McCluer High School opened in Buena Vista. City and division leaders say it’s time to move on to the next big capital project. A joint facilities committee composed of members of City Council and the School Board has been tasked with planning for this project.
We don’t know what that next big project will be. It could be a brand new school to replace one or more existing schools. It could be a renovation/expansion of an existing school. The only certainty about the next big project is that it’s going to be mighty expensive – so much so that financing for it is going to be taken to a referendum.
Buena Vista’s voters will decide if the city is to invest the necessary funds to undertake this hugely expensive project. If all goes according to plan, a referendum will be held in November of 2025.
The time is right for moving forward with this project. Legal wrangling over the golf course debt that had mired the city’s finances for years has been settled. The city no longer owes anything over that ill-fated development. The last payment on the PMHS construction project was made two years ago. If the city is going to retain its independent school system well into the future, now is the time to begin updating its facilities.
It’s unlikely that the nearly century-old Parry McCluer Middle School will be part of these plans. This aging facility has served the city well but would probably be prohibitively expensive to renovate for its continued use by the schools. The division will likely vacate the building but that doesn’t mean the city should abandon it.
The last thing the city needs is another abandoned structure in a conspicuous part of town. The dilapidated former Georgia Bonded factory building at the western entrance to the city is a reminder of the perils of abandoning once prominent structures. A new use must be found for the PMMS building. Given its proximity to Southern Virginia University, perhaps SVU could restore the historic building for a new purpose.
Three years ago, the city received an unsolicited proposal for a new school under the Public/Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act. English Construction of Lynchburg and RRMM Architects of Roanoke proposed constructing a new 99,500-squarefoot school on land adjacent to the existing PMHS. Under this proposal, the new school would have replaced the existing two elementary schools and middle school for an estimated cost of $36 million.
Whether this proposal is revisited or something entirely different that no one has yet thought of is pursued, a new or renovated school is needed to ensure the future of the Buena Vista school system. Again, new uses for any schools that are vacated must be found.
City and division leaders are to be commended for starting the process to plan for future needs. Forward thinking such as this will move the division forward. And, giving citizens their say in the matter through a referendum is the right call.
