The Goochland County School Board withdrew a request to the county government for a bond referendum to finance school construction.

The Goochland Board of Supervisors was to consider a request to issue $13.9 million in general obligation bonds that would include money to finance expansions at Byrd and Randolph elementary schools.

However, the supervisors have decided that Goochland Elementary School should be part of the expansion to accommodate expected enrollment growth. The School Board had hoped to replace the aging building in the courthouse area with a new school.

But the supervisors said such a project would need voter approval through a referendum -- prompting the School Board to explore expanding Goochland Elementary along with the other two grade schools.

During the supervisors' regular meeting yesterday, Chairman William Quarles Jr. told Goochland school officials that the expansion study at Goochland Elementary should be completed before the School Board submits its bond request.

The county government would prefer to prepare a bond issue for improvements at all three schools at the same time, Quarles told School Board Chairman Andrew Meng and Superintendent Linda Underwood.

Plans to add six classrooms and a multi-purpose room each for Byrd and Randolph elementary schools would cost about $8.7 million. A separate project to build a new bus garage would require another $4.2 million in bond debt.

The School Board last month initiated a study to determine the cost of adding six classrooms and a multi-purpose room to Goochland Elementary. School officials expect to have a plan and cost estimate for that ready for supervisors to review by the end of June.

The Goochland school system enroll about 2,400 students in five schools.
Contact Calvin R. Trice at (540) 932-3674 or ctrice@timesdispatch.com.