The building that once housed the King George High School vocational center has deteriorated since it ceased to be used for that purpose in the late 2000s.
The county’s school board recently hired an architectural firm to conduct a facility assessment and feasibility study on renovating the 57-year-old building. The firm noted that unsecured electrical panels and roof ladders create a safety hazard.
The report from RRMM Architects, presented during Monday’s school board meeting, also cited a lack of air cavity within exterior walls not allowing proper drainage of moisture; no insulation within exterior walls, significant deterioration of the brick and mortar; lack of Americans with Disabilities Act compliance and aging infrastructure.
Taken together, those concerns led at least one school board member to conclude that he’d vote to demolish the building and construct a new vocational center rather than renovate the current structure.
“I would just like to look at the possibility of building new,” Shiloh District representative David Bush said… “It’s definitely cost effective to do it that way.”
Jeff Harris, co-director of RRMM Architects’ K-12 design studio, informed the board that the renovation would cost approximately $7.6 million for construction alone, plus an additional 20% for design.
He said the cost of a new building with construction starting in June 2027 would be approximately $450 per square foot. If the building kept the same square footage of 17,700, the construction cost would be $7.9 million plus up to $700,000 for demolition. The board said it would decide later if it wanted to maintain the exact same square footage or increase it to 20,000 or 25,000.
“One of the biggest advantages [to a new building] is you can tailor the design specifically to fit your programs,” Harris said. “[With a renovation], you’re trying to shoehorn things in. You’re also going to get a brand new building [with a renovation]. You’re going to have a more energy-efficient design from the outset, newer materials.”
Harris said there would also be no mold remediation with a new building after noting that in the current structure, mortar is turning into powder because of moisture, which is also causing paint not to stick to the walls.
Superintendent Jesse Boyd said the building is currently underutilized, with the high school wrestling team practicing there, and a community service organization that provides school supplies to students in need operating in the facility. A few parks and recreation programs are held there, as well
Boyd said he foresees a new facility easing capacity issues, specifically at the high school. King George High was built for 1,500 students but currently has an enrollment of 1,550. The county’s elementary schools are also over capacity. While a referendum to construct a new $57 million elementary school passed last November, there are no plans in place to assist with capacity concerns at the high school.
“To open up the vocational center would be a relief valve for the high school,” Boyd said. “It would provide additional workspace for our high school students.”
Boyd said vocational education is a trending topic among community members and public officials in the county. He noted that the surrounding school divisions all have robust vocational education programs, and King George would benefit from one, too.
“Since the vocational center here in King George closed, we have some vocational programs working out of the high school but not a center like those neighboring school divisions have right now,” Boyd said. “So, the relief valve of allowing additional instructional space is really the catalyst [for this study] … We’re very interested in getting back to a workable situation here in King George.”
