The Botetourt County School Board approved using up to $302,978 in capital reserve funds to renovate the former technology lab at Lord Botetourt High School (LBHS) into the new health sciences classroom and lab when it met last week in regular session.

The health sciences program has been housed at the STEM-H Academy at Greenfield Education and Training Center (GETC) since it opened in the fall of 2013 with engineering, technology and health science courses.

The engineering/mechatronics and technology programs moved to Botetourt Technical Education Center (BTEC) this past school year. That’s provided other collaborative learning opportunities for those students and students in other programs at BTEC.

The same is expected with the health sciences move that will allow collaboration with the agriculture sciences already offered at LBHS.

The funds being used to renovate the space at LBHS will also cover moving the lab equipment from GETC to LBHS.

School Superintendent John Busher told the School Board the administration hopes to have the lab and classroom ready at LBHS by the start of school, but it is a tight time window to do that. E&S Construction was awarded the contract to do the renovation.

Should school open before the move is complete, health sciences students will continue to use the GETC classroom and lab until renovations are complete. He said he believes the lab can be moved over a weekend if necessary.

Lawrence Companies in Cloverdale has that kind of experience, he told the School Board, and has a state contract for those kinds of moves at state colleges and universities.

Busher said Virginia Western Community College is fine should the school division need to stay in GETC for a period after school starts, if necessary.

Once the health science program moves to LBHS, the school division will not have any programs at GETC.

Busher said VWCC is not offering any classes at GETC this fall.

Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Dr. Janet Womack said having the lab at LBHS will provide many opportunities for collaboration with other programs. “The sky’s the limit,” she told the School Board.

She said next year the health sciences program will have two sections of Level I and two sections of Level II classes. Students then may go to the Regional Academy for Level III and IV classes.

The school division had 10 students earn Associates Degrees in Health Sciences this year, along with their high school diplomas.

Staci Jones, who had been administrator at the STEM-H Academy at GETC, will return to Read Mountain Middle School as an administrator.

Busher said the school division will be able to replenish the capital reserve fund with dollars the school division saved this year and a higher-than-expected student enrollment that provided more state dollars than budgeted.

He said the school division had 4,548 students— 113 more than were expected. That meant the school division received about $500,000 more in state dollars than budgeted. That with an estimated $200,000 to $300,000 in savings will go into the capital reserve fund with approval from the Board of Supervisors.

Busher noted that a state budget has been finalized and with a projected 4,505 students for the coming fiscal year, he believes “we’re in a good position.”

Storm Damage

The series of storms this spring eventually caught up with the school division.

Lightning struck twice— close to each other— in one of those storms doing $8,000 in damage to two systems at BTEC and $9,000 in damage to two control boards at Central Academy Middle School next door in Fincastle.

Some of the damage was done to upgrades through the Energy Performance Contract that is designed to reduce energy consumption at the county schools.

Busher said the school division has filed insurance claims over the damage.

Busher also reported that the spring meant leaky roofs at some of the schools. His monthly operations report included repairs for roof leaks at five schools.

Other Business

In other business, the School Board:

• Approved a new textbook for the Individual Development and Relationships course.
• Approved an update to the graduation requirements for students with disabilities. The state has eliminated the Modified Standard Diploma and Special Diploma. Students with disabilities will be able to earn an Applied Studies Diploma. The option is for students identified as having a disability who successfully complete the requirements set forth in his or her individual education plan (IEP) but do not meet the requirements for other named diplomas.
• Approved school trips for students from Central Academy Middle School to Harrisonburg June 18-21; LBHS students to Blacksburg June 18-21; LBHS students to Fincastle July 22-27; LBHS students to Washington, D.C. September 20; LBHS students to Ebetsy, Hokkaido, Japan October 12-23 and BTEC students to Las Vegas, Nev. October 30-November 2.