The Star Democrat reports that Caroline County Commissioners recently met with members of the Board of Education to discuss planned capital projects.  Assistant Superintendent of Schools Milton Nagel spoke with the commissioners regarding the affiliated costs with the renovations .  Currently construction is underway on Col. Richardson High School and in FY2015 the county is slated to renovate Preston Elementary in-a project costing an estimated $15 million.  Other projects on the table include funding for a new nursing school facility at Chesapeake College and renovations of three other elementary schools in the area.  Commission President Jeff Ghrist stated:

…the county has had two years of budget surpluses as well as bonds that will be maturing over the next five years, opening up funding for new capital projects.

“So we’re going to have an opportunity to borrow money,” he said.

Ghrist said the commissioners will need to hold a workshop to develop a new capital improvement project list and review its bond situation before making any firm commitments. He said the county has other projects to review as well, including possible renovations to the ailing Caroline County Detention Center.

Nagel said Caroline does not have the cash problems facing neighboring counties and neither does the school board. He said the commissioners and school board members have both been conservative in their respective budgeting.

Nagel said while teachers have not received raises for several years, they know their situation in Caroline is better than in neighboring counties and projects like the Colonel Richardson High School renovation could not have been done if all the school board’s funds were tied up in salaries.