Just under 30 counties submitted proposals for Major Improvement Project requests under the School Building Authority of West Virginia. Only eight counties earned awards.
Out of those eight, Pendleton County received the largest award, for an even $1 million. Hardy, Pocahontas, Randolph, and Mineral counties were also approved, giving the eastern end of the state needed assistance in facilities improvements.
That grant award to PCS will go toward a new HVAC system and roof replacement for Brandywine Elementary School. Of the 27 project plans submitted, 10 involved either work to a facility roof or HVAC unit. PCS will contribute $446,504 to complete the project at BES.
School systems must engage in significant work and effort over the long term to help to get themselves into good position to receive these awards. Once in position with planning, even more effort must go into selling the specific award “pitch” to state officials.
The SBA defines these grants as “designed to address major improvements in existing facilities that are not fundable through the local maintenance budgets.” Awards address estimates of project need that run between $50,000 and $1 million. Systems can embark on projects that cost more than $1 million, but must find the funding themselves above that number.
These awards can go to county school systems (officially in state documents referred to as “LEAs,” or Local Education Agencies), the state department of education, or regional career and technical education facilities.
Pendleton County Schools and other awardees must meet specific criteria in earning these awards. School systems have to have established Major Improvements Plans as part of a Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan. A Major Improvement Project must already be envisioned and prioritized within that planning.
Major Improvement Plans are legally required to meet a set of goals established by the West Virginia State Legislature, including meeting health and safety regulations, increases in building life-expectancy, assuring prudent use of local and state funds, and other goals.
The project plan, according to the SBA, “shall include a prioritized list of all the major improvement projects within the county. Such prioritized list shall be one of the criteria to be considered by the authority in determining how available funds shall be expended.”
Guidelines for approving these projects are strict and established by West Virginia Code 18-9D-6.
First a county must submit a Major Improvement Project plan that “shall be the basis for a consultation meeting between representatives of the county and members of the authority . . . which shall be held promptly following submission of the preliminary plan” or submitted plan outline or proposal.
Plans must include specific details on topics such as expected energy efficiency, preferred siting, materials used, plan of maintenance going forward, and other related matters. Also according to the SBA, “sufficient data must be included to address how the current facilities do not meet and how the proposed project does meet the goals as established” under state law.
That said, the project for which the agency applies for a grant must have been part of a larger overall major improvements plan that prioritizes needs and explains the method behind setting some projects as more of a need than others. Also, “expenditures for all facility improvements other than normal routine maintenance shall be documented and included in the ongoing update provided to the SBA.” Under the law, each system remains responsible for “normal” maintenance needs.
