School system completes survey of needs for 5-10 years
Polk County Schools is in good shape for the next five to 10 years in building and facility needs, and officials also predict enrollment will drop significantly.
The school system is required by the state to complete a schools facilities survey every five years.
Polk County Schools Superintendent Bill Miller presented the study to county commissioners Monday, Jan. 24.
Miller said the two biggest needs over the next five years are roof and unit ventilators at Polk County High School.
The cost estimates for projects listed on the survey are provided by the state in an effort to have uniform pricing across all school reports, Miller said.  He also said there is no requirement to complete any of the work presented in the report.
The report shows that Polk County’s current average daily membership is 2,355 students, with those numbers projected to drop in 2015-16 to 2,073. Polk County Schools’ capacity is for 3,218 students, according to the report.
Projected enrollment in 2020-21 is projected to drop to 1,823, according to the report.
The report projects no need for new schools over the next decade. In the next five years, an addition, renovations and furniture/equipment are a projected need at the Virtual Early College. The state’s estimated cost for the total addition is $400,125, according to the report.
Renovations at Polk Central are also projected within the next five years, which the state estimates at $672,007.
Sunny View Elementary School additions and renovations over the next five years are estimated at $575,263.
Saluda Elementary renovations are projected to cost $367,650.
Polk County High School is projected to need $206,682 of renovations over the next five years, with $27,018 each in renovation costs at Tryon Elementary and Polk County Middle Schools.
The total cost for additions and renovations estimated to be needed over the next five years is projected by the state at $2,275,763, according to the report.
The survey projects $3,453,345 in needed renovations to schools in six to 10 years. Those projections include $582,768 at Tryon Elementary, $950,874 at Polk Central, $13,509 at the Virtual Early College, $1,075,590 at Polk County High School, $27,018 at Polk County Middle School, $776,568 at Saluda Elementary and $27,018 at Sunny View Elementary.
“We do not project the need for any new schools in Polk County over the next 10 years,” Miller said. “The only additions we included in the report are a possible media center expansion at Sunny View School and two additional classrooms at the Virtual Early College. The majority of the needs in our facilities study revolve around on-going renovations and general maintenance of our school facilities.”
Miller also said the report reflects what school staff believes is the school capacity in Polk County.
“We visited each school and attempted to make sure all of the usable space that is available to Polk County Schools is reflected in the report,” Miller said.