Talk's Cheap, Price Isn't

Well, now we know: The estimated cost to build a new headquarters for Polk County School Board personnel to consolidate staff and services is $126 million. The amount is expected to be discussed at a School Board work session scheduled for this morning in Bartow. This poorly timed topic should drop off the radar screen as quickly as it appeared.

Apparently, a new headquarters doesn't have much support among the district's top administrators. "We tried to come up with an estimate, [but] neither the superintendent [of schools, Gail McKinzie] nor I support it," said Bob Williams, assistant superintendent of the School District's facilities and operations department, to The Ledger last week. "Obviously we're always looking down the road to see where we're going."

Williams added that the district doesn't "have that kind of money," while McKinzie further elaborated that even if it did, "We have many more needs that are more urgent and pressing."

But that, of course, is not their decision to make. It is the prerogative of the School Board - which can be somewhat capricious at times.

The estimate was requested by School Board member Tim Harris, a former teacher and contract administrator for the district. He said the current headquarters in Bartow, purchased from IMC Global (now part of The Mosaic Co.) in the 1960s, isn't adequate for a county Polk's size.

MULTIPLE STORIES, PARKING GARAGE

The one given a $126 million price tag certainly sounds like it would be: The cost analysis was for a multistory, 400,000 square-foot building to hold 850 employees who would have access to a parking garage with 1,100 spaces. The district headquarters would need a minimum site of 20 acres to consolidate offices now in 11 other facilities, "not counting offices located in numerous schools."

Harris told The Ledger that while the district doesn't have the funds now, if "you don't start the conversation, then you'll never be ready when the time comes."

Apparently not many board members think it's time to start thinking ahead. Board members Kay Fields said she "didn't even know anything about it" when she started getting e-mails from angry teachers. Board member Margaret Lofton said she was caught off guard as well: "I can't comment on something I know absolutely nothing about."

Board member Frank O'Reilly said he had heard talk about the analysis, but didn't think a larger office complex was necessary. Having offices and services spread around the county is a plus for employees and parents.

As long as the conversation has started, board members need to remember that talk is cheap. They should also remember that this idea didn't start with the administration - which would be the logical place for concerns about space requirements to normally begin. They should also consider O'Reilly's viewpoint that isn't not necessarily convenient for everyone to have everything in one location.

TIMING COULDN'T BE WORSE

And they might remember that there is an alternative to the School Board building its own headquarters: leasing from private developers, so property and improvements remain on the tax rolls (and generate revenue for the school system).

While they're at it, board members can spend some time on how to best address the maximum class sizes approved by the voters a few years ago. And keep in mind this is the same frugal School Board that wants to recover $77,000 it overpaid 53 teachers and other employees.

It was the district's own doing: Errors were made when school officials miscalculated how much experience the teachers and employees had, which affected where they should be placed in the district's pay schedule.

One of those teachers is Donna Hendershot, who teaches third grade and owes the most of any of the overpaid employees - about $10,000. Her paycheck has been reduced to its correct amount. She will use her accumulated sick time to pay back part of the money, and will take out a low-interest loan to lengthen the payback period and to cut that link to the school system, making matters easier if she decides to take a job elsewhere.

So when it comes to kicking around a new headquarters, the board couldn't have picked a worse time to do it. And that's probably why O'Reilly is doubtful that anything will be concrete: "I know there's nobody on the board who's going to say, 'Let's budget $126 million.'"

Perhaps these austere times have made the board a bit less capricious.