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Building purchase stalls
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors declined to take action Monday on a School Board plan to purchase a second administrative office building. The county board, which must approve financing for the purchase, discussed the proposal in closed session and asked the county executive to convey its thoughts to School Board Chairman Dan Storck.
The School Board approved the purchase Sept. 18, continuing its plans to consolidate administrative offices in one location. Half of the administrative offices were moved to another building in the Jefferson Park office complex in Merrifield several years ago.
The county would borrow up to $130 million to purchase and renovate the building. The bonds would be repaid with funds that would have gone to pay for leases or maintenance on the existing scattered administrative facilities. The move would save about $7 million in fiscal 2010-12 and about $1 million a year for 30 years after that. It will also allow some buildings to be returned to school use or sold.
Some parents were upset about the purchase because the school system is already projecting a $110 million budget shortfall for next year and has a long list of scheduled renovations and additions planned at county schools.
School officials say this purchase will not affect students or slow down the capital improvement program.
“We need to take advantage of today’s tough economic times to save money and purchase when the real estate market is soft,” said Dan Storck, school board chairman, in a statement. “While it may appear that FCPS is proposing spending millions on this building, we already spend millions to lease space and maintain rapidly aging administration buildings."
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