DISTRICT TO RENOVATE MIDDLE SCHOOL.

Byline: DENNIS J. CARROLL

POJOAQUE SCHOOLS

The Pojoaque Valley School Board -- its members expressing what they said is a constituent desire for fiscal prudence and caution -- last week set the district on a path to renovate the existing middle school rather than build a new one.

Members of the community "want us to take care of what we have," board president Reuben Roybal said before voting to refurbish the school rather than build anew.

Board member J. David Ortiz said a pending $6 million September bond issue would be a hard-sell if voters thought they were being asked to approve construction of a new middle

school, especially since the district would have to go shopping for land to build it on. The cost of a new middle school has been estimated at about

$28 million, plus the cost of the land.

Estimates for renovating the existing middle school complex are about

$18 million, which includes about $3 million for overhauling the site's wastewater system and about the same amount to tear down and replace the existing cafeteria. The cafeteria building dates back to the late 1930s, said district Business Manager Patrick Medina.

The lion's share of the school, on the Pojoaque campus along N.M. 502, was built in the mid 1970s.

Medina said no state funds would be available for middle school renovations for at least 18 months.

A special citizens task force has been drafting a prioritized list of capital improvement projects for the past year and a half. Some of those are expected to be included in a pamphlet the district will publish prior to the Sept. 9 bond vote outlining how the district would spend the $6 million.

Medina said the pamphlet would detail about 10 projects over the next three years to five years.

Many of the improvements could not occur for several years depending on the district's bonding capacity, Medina said. The next possible sale of bonds -- perhaps as much as $3 million could not occur until next March, Medina said.

Projects at the top of the district's priority list include replacing the wastewater system on the Pojoaque campus; a new soccer field on the Jacona campus near the high school; a new playground at the elementary school; and health and safety projects throughout the district.