Last month Chris Tuck (Chairman Montgomery County Board of Supervisors) spoke to the Christiansburg Town Council, concerning the status of Christiansburg schools.
He stated that with the exception of Christiansburg Middle School, all the other schools in the Town of Christiansburg need major renovations or replacement. Chris first discussed Falling Brach Elementary.
For a number of years Falling Branch has not had enough space for its student population. Currently, the school has a number of mobile units. These units have safety, educational and security concerns.
Tuck stated that it would cost between $9-11 million to enlarge the school. The county has funds for the enlargement and they plan to begin construction in the near future.
He also mentioned other schools in Christiansburg. All of the schools have problems and need to be replaced or updated. Tuck stated Christiansburg High School would cost around $110 million to replace.
If the school was updated the cost would be around $55 million. The school board/board of supervisors is currently considering upgrading all the Christiansburg schools. He used the new Auburn Middle School as an example.
The school was recently upgraded. The results of AMS were outstanding. He feels the board of supervisors/school board are considering following the same procedure with other schools
He concluded by stating whatever route the school board and the board of supervisors decide to take it is estimated, with the exception of Falling Branch, it would be 2023 before any action is taken on the schools.
It is important to know that even though the Christiansburg Town Council is not financially involved with schools, the council is aware of the situation, and is continually working to make sure that Christiansburg students are not forgotten.
Steve Huppert,
Christiansburg Town Council