The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

August 19, 2008

WVSOM rejects the purchase of school

By Christian Giggenbach

LEWISBURG — The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine’s board of governors has rejected a motion to purchase the Lewisburg Elementary School building for $985,000, officials said Tuesday.

The medical school board met Saturday and discussed several issues surrounding the purchase of the school, including two appraisals of the property and the cost of removing asbestos from the building, board president Sharon Rowe said Tuesday.

“There was a motion to purchase the property for $985,000 and the board voted not to approve the motion,” Rowe said.

Rowe said the potential cost of demolishing the building, removal of asbestos and two lower property appraisals all factored into the board’s decision.

“Based on the appraisals done of the property and the other estimates given for asbestos abatement and potential demolition costs, the board felt the whole matter needed further study,” Rowe said.

Greenbrier County Schools Superintendent John Curry, who also serves as WVSOM board member, said he voluntarily recused himself from Saturday’s vote.

Curry said the sale of the elementary school is contingent upon the passage of a multimillion-dollar school bond in November, which includes funding for a new Lewisburg elementary school and several new schools in the western end of the county.

Curry said a portion of the sale of the elementary school had been factored into the money needed for the proposed new school buildings. Curry said November’s bond call will now most likely be around $37.5 million.

“In terms of the overall bond initiative, the money from the osteopathic school would have been used to reduce the bond call by approximately $700,000,” Curry said Tuesday. “There will be a special meeting on Friday and the school board will take a look at all the numbers related to the bond call.”

Curry said over a 15-year period a person owning a $100,000 home could expect their property taxes to increase by about $100 to $125 per year if the school bond initiative is passed by Greenbrier County voters.

— E-mail: cgiggenbach@register-herald.com

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