Construction Bid Approved for Nokesville K-8 School, Residents Offer Support

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At nearly 1 a.m. Thursday morning, the Prince William County School Board unanimously voted to approve the lowest bid on the construction of the Nokesville K-8 School, awarding the contract to V.F. Pavone Construction Company in Manassas for $28.4 million.

The motion passed 6-0 ( Neabsco District Board Member Lisa Bell left the meeting early due to illness).

All residents who appeared during Citizen's Time all spoke in favor of the construction of the new school; a dozen or more Nokesville citizens stayed to the very end of the meeting.

While opponents to the plan were not present at the Board meeting, Brentsville District Board Representative Gil Trenum defended the Nokesville K-8 against those who have been publically opposed to the concept.

Trenum, referring to an online petition opposing the construction of the school, noted it was generated and mostly signed by a small group of people outside of the community.

"There is a lot of misinformation and disinformation, but most particularly about Nokesville K-8 School,” Trenum said.

Trenum said that the idea for building the K to 8 School originated with Superintendent of Schools Dr. Steven L. Walts in 2010. At that time it received a positive reception from the citizens of Nokesville.

“When the cost of K-8 was higher than originally anticipated, I personally went to the staff and found ways to save money. The new bid is 10 percent less than what the original bid was,” Trenum said.

He further explained how the school division  had put off building the K-8 School for a time, focusing on other elementary schools along the Linton Hall corridor, because at the time they were severely overcrowded.

Moreover, he also promised that all due process was followed in approving the school. It was not rushed through in one meeting he said, and citizens had amble time to respond to the proposal.

School Board Chairman-At-Large Milt Johns agreed with Trenum that the school was a good idea for the community, and reminded anyone still watching the meeting that it is not the appropriate time in the process of approving a school to throw up “road blocks.”

Citizens who spoke in favor of the Nokesville Elementary School talked about the necessity for the school.

Zara Tirrell recounted how students on crutches needed to access second floor classrooms would hop on one foot up the stairs.

Her husband, Richard Tirrell, addressing the need to place children outside the immediate Nokesville community into the K-8 School, built on a “Field of Dreams” metaphor, saying, “If you build it, they will come.”

Some citizens also spoke highly of the research supporting the positive educational experience of a K-8 school.

Potomac District School Board Member Betty D. Covington told those at the meeting that she thinks the K-8 School is a wonderful idea that could be established in other communities.

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