When will Yowell open?
Staff photo, Vincent Vala
Residents will have to wait another two weeks before they learn whether Culpeper County’s sixth elementary school will be ready when classes start Aug. 20.
Residents will have to wait another two weeks before they learn whether Culpeper County’s sixth elementary school will be ready when classes start Aug. 20.
Construction Projects Manager Hunter Spencer and interim Superintendent Larry Carter met with contractors for two hours on Thursday to discuss the progress regarding Yowell Elementary School, being built along Sperryville Pike west of downtown Culpeper.
Spencer said elevation concerns where U.S. 522 and Yowell Drive meet and soil testing has presented a new set of issues possibly delaying Yowell opening on schedule.
Berryville-based contractor Caldwell and Santmyer began construction on the Yowell building, which can house 650 students, last summer.
Yowell architects, Crabtree and Rohrbaugh, plan to meet with Chuck Stephenson, town engineer and director of planning and community development, and town director Bobby Thornhill to discuss the site work issues before Monday.
Stephenson and Thornhill were unavailable for comment because they are on vacation this week, according to town spokesman Wally Bunker.
School Board Chairman George Dasher, who is also out of town, learned about the most recent delay after Thursday’s meeting.
“I understand the issues with the road and I understand that the architects will meet with the town and try to sort things out,” said Dasher.
Dasher had promised to deliver a decision to the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors by Thursday.
But he said things change as projects progress.
“You’re always two weeks smarter,” he said. “We have information now that we didn’t have two weeks ago. And frankly, I thought there would be bigger issues. I wasn’t expecting the road to be the issue.”
As far as the two-story school, Carter and Dasher seem optimistic about an August completion.
“We’re moving along,” said Dasher.
Dasher added that Yowell parents have been kept informed about the school’s progress.
The School Board will officially decide whether Yowell can open during its two-day retreat in August.
Rhonda Simmons can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 125 or .
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Reader Reactions
This is pretty typical of our school board isnt it. Hunter Spencer is an idiot. Everyone knows that and thats the reason he coundnt make it in private practice. From what I have seen out there the contractors are doing whatever they want with no instruction or direction. Just plowing along at their own pace which is the way or entire school system is ran.
Wasn’t this article based on a meeting which was previously stated as the “drop dead” date or something along those lines? It seemed like this meeting was the meeting which made the determination of whether they open or not - case closed. If that is the case, then why are we waiting another two weeks? This is another frustrating example of Culpeper dragging its feet.
Did anyone take into consideration the teachers moving to Yowell? Did anyone consider that plans need to be made NOW as to where everyone will be if Yowell doesn’t open? If they wait until the August retreat to make the final decision, there will be no time to implement anything constructive, creating a logisitical nightmare which will directly affect the teacher’s ability to teach, and more importantly, the children’s ability to successfully learn concepts.
We live on Yowell Drive and it has been an absolute nightmare getting onto 522 and back. They have flagmen in front of the store and up on the hill in front of the church and I can’t see either when I try to turn out on 522. I can’t tell which way the traffic is headed. And that’s not to mention the dirt, dust, equipment, mud, trash, and noise. But every other square inch of land has been developed on 522, why not that?
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