School Building Authority Guidelines

School Building Authority Guidelines

What is the School Building Authority (SBA)? The West Virginia Legislature established the SBA in 1988. Since then there have been some minor revisions in its organization and funding. However, its basic “mission” has remained the same - to provide state funds (taxes) for the construction and maintenance of school facilities in an efficient and economical manner.

How much authority do they have? Besides being the primary source of funds provided by the State of West Virginia for school buildings they also must approve any new school construction project or major renovation prior to preparation of documents for bids. This includes projects that do not require SBA funds.

What are the “economies of scale” and what do they require? These are the allowable minimum enrollments permitted by the SBA in order to receive funding for school building. The basic numbers that affect Hardy County Schools are: Elementary K-4 – 200 students; Middle 5-8 – 450 students; and High 9-12 – 800 students.

Does the SBA have other additional requirements? Yes! There are rules that apply to most every aspect of a school building. These include: square feet per student, types of rooms, basic construction requirements, etc. All new buildings and renovations must meet with their approval.

Can a county choose to go “beyond” these minimum requirements? Yes! However, this will require the use of local funds – such as a countywide building bond levy. As long as the basic requirements are met, the citizens of a county may enhance, improve or add-on additions as they so determine, and provide the local funds necessary.

If the SBA funds a school are there items they will refuse to fund? Yes! A few of the items that they will not allow SBA funds to be used for include: purchasing land, large auditoriums, athletic facilities (other than a gymnasium or multi-purpose room suitable for physical education classes) and classroom or spaces for projected enrollment increases.

What has this meant for Hardy County Schools in the past? The SBA has provided approximately 9 million dollars to the county over the past 10 years. This has included several improvement projects of $500,000 each (i.e. air conditioning upgrades at EHHS), the total cost for the EHEM school construction and approximately 50% of the cost for MMS construction (the remaining 50% through a local building bond levy). When MMS was built the SBA would not fund additional classrooms for possible future enrollment increases. This is why portable classrooms are now there.

What will the SBA do in the future? There are no certainties or guarantees. The SBA will follow their guidelines. This means that funding for renovations of older building or funding for any new school that does not meet the economies of scale is unlikely. If new construction is undertaken, and it complies with their requirements, the SBA has a history of supporting counties that contribute to the cost through a local bond levy.

What does this mean for the Hardy County Board of Education? This depends on the citizens of Hardy County. The Board Members are actively engaged in reviewing facility needs, meeting with citizens, solicitation of input from staff, and talking with community members. Any request for SBA funds, that would be available July 1^st of 2003, will have to be made by the fall of 2002.