Politics

Alumni president: Renovation cheaper, safer than new school

By Bill Moss, Published: November 17, 2015

The president of the Hendersonville High School Alumni Association says cost comparisons between renovation of HHS and a brand new school leave out the unknown pricetag of renovating the 1926 building for another use.

"If the renovation of the building is not included in this project then when and who will pay for the repurposing of this building?" said Carolyn Lamb Borman, a class of 1961 graduate and current president of the Alumni Association.

Advocates for building a new school to replace the 89-year-old core classroom building and auditorium have pointed to an architect's projection that constructing a new school for $50.4 million would cost $2.2 million less than the renovate-and-continue-to-use option favored by most alumni who have expressed an opinion. Borman's point echoed that of School Board member Rick Wood, who said during the board discussion of the issue last week that proponents of an all-new school were leaving out a high renovation cost that the school system and Henderson County would ultimately have to pay. None of the five options that Clark Nexsen architect Chad Roberson envisions bulldozing the old school building, the second structure to house HHS, which dates to 1901.

A retired East Henderson High School business teacher, Borman also said in a letter that the renovation option results in a more compact, safer campus "with a buffer zone between the five-lane highway at Five Points and the main buildings where students will be located."

Here is Borman's letter:

The Henderson County Board of Education and ultimately the Henderson County Board of Commissioners are working diligently to make decisions for providing the highest quality of physical campuses to support the outstanding education standards demonstrated by our schools. Hendersonville High School is listed as one of the top three campuses with major needs.

There have been four options created by an architectural firm to suggest ways to update and replace buildings on the HHS campus. Of the four options there has been strong interest in two of them—Option #2 and Option #3. These two options vary in the layout of the campus.

In the opinion of the Alumni Association Option #2 which includes the renovation and daily use of the original high school structure is by far the most financially prudent and provides the safest campus for the student body.

Financially the point to be made is Option #2 includes the renovation of the original school structure at a total cost of the project only slightly more than not including that structure as suggested in Option #3. Which, by the way, the original building was acknowledged as being structurally sound. If the renovation of the building is not included in this project then when and who will pay for the repurposing of this building?

Safety of any student body calls for consideration of a tight, closed campus. This can be a challenge since the campus is located within a downtown area. Option #2 calls for a campus with a buffer zone between the five-lane highway at Five Points and the main buildings where students will be located.

Knowing that HHS is located at a focal point and entrance into the City of Hendersonville this campus can be a nod to the effort of the City and County to showcase our historic community. Yes, as many have noticed, HHS supporters recognize and acknowledge that there is an intangible school community legacy and tradition. There is an intrinsic relationship to this historical structure.

In conclusion, this entire effort is to always serve the students in providing the best education possible in this community.