Published: August 12, 2008 10:05 pm      

Greenbrier Commission agrees to sell land to school board

LEWISBURG — The Greenbrier County Commission tentatively agreed Tuesday to sell 19.6 acres of land for $735,000 to the county school board for the construction of a new Lewisburg Elementary School.

The unanimous vote by Commissioners Lowell Rose, Brad Tuckwiller and Betty Crookshanks also included a measure that sets aside $135,000 for police officers’ salaries at the proposed new school. The 19.6 acres are located behind the county’s new library and adjacent to New River Community and Technical College.

Greenbrier Schools Superintendent John Curry, who attended the meeting, said a special school board meeting has been scheduled for Aug. 22 to approve placing a $36 million bond before county voters in November to help provide funding for several county schools, including Greenbrier West, Rainelle Elementary, Smoot and a new gym for Eastern Greenbrier Middle School.

Curry said construction costs for the new Lewisburg school are approximately $15 million. A School Building Authority grant of $10.6 million has been awarded to the county and will be coupled with an additional $9 million included in the bond issue for construction of the new Greenbrier West High School.

“The board must approve all pieces of the bond election first,” Curry said.

— Christian

Giggenbach