As the Beaufort County Board of Education approved the capital projects budget for fiscal year 2011-2012, its members retained expectations of saving money in that budget.

Those expectations were discussed during the board’s work on the capital budget during its meeting Tuesday. Patrick Abele, executive director for learning services for Beaufort County Schools, presented an update on that budget to the board. Capital projects involved construction of new buildings, major renovations to existing buildings and major equipment purchases. Abele told the board he went through the budget carefully, looking for ways to save money where practical.

Abele said various projects proposed at several Beaufort County schools are being evaluated to develop cost estimates. Schools such as Eastern Elementary, Bath Elementary, Beaufort County Ed Tech Center, Chocowinity Middle and Northside, Southside and Washington high schools are in line for capital projects.

Two bids for a roof project involving a multi-purpose room at Chocowinity Primary School have been received.

“One application method would cost $40,000 for the project to complete,” Abele said. “There is another application method from Dynatec, which would be exactly the type of coating at Washington High School.”

He said if the board considered that bid, it would reduce the cost to less than $23,000.

An improved phone system, including public-address capabilities, at J.C. Tayloe Elementary School, is projected to cost $10,000. A new PA system would cost about $30,000, he said.

“What we’re considering here at Tayloe would be to look at this new type of technology where we can take our telephone system and convert it into a PA system with the appropriate upgrades with an approximate cost of $10,000,” Abele said. “This way we’re talking about a minimal cost instead of a $30,000 cost.”

The proposal to install a new canopy for the bus parking sidewalk and a fire alarm system upgrade at Northside High School would cost about $76,000, with that project being funded in the 2012-2013 fiscal year budget, he said.

“An upgrade in the system would help us to eliminate any trouble alarms and any issues in the system and help us in the future as well,” Abele said.

Upgrading Southside High School’s fire alarm system would cost about $67,150, with the project funded in the 2013-2014 fiscal year budget, he said.

Board member Terry Williams told Abele that changes to the budget document presented Tuesday were changes he wanted made after he reviewed the original budget proposal.

“I think there (are) things that we could spend more money on projects that were going to save us money down the road, as well as building a little bit larger contingency plan,” Williams said. “And the changes you’ve made have done exactly that.”

Board member Cindy Winstead recommended the board approve funding the canopy project at Northside so students won’t have to stand in rain.

“That has been something we have been trying to get approved for almost six years,” she said, “and it’s been shuffled around several times.”

Abele said the school system tries to complete as many projects as possible during summers to minimize the effects of projects on schools.

Board Chairman Robert Belcher said the upcoming school year will be a little different when it comes to funding.

“You don’t get that lottery money,” he said. “You can’t spend what you don’t have. And they don’t give it to you but every three months. So, some of these projects … for the first three months of the year, beginning July 1, aren’t going be more than $350,000 to $375,000.”

Belcher said more projects can get under way in the second quarter of the fiscal year.

In other action, the board:

• Discussed allowing plaques honoring deceased coaches, players and other influential people to be placed on school system athletic fields. Such an honor could be given to Bing Mitchell, a former high school coach who served at WHS for several years. Mitchell died late last year.
• Unanimously approved a new contract for BCS Superintendent Don Phipps. The contract runs from July 1 to June 30, 2015.

All board members attended the meeting.