OUR VIEW: CCHS needs to undergo ‘makeover’

Staff Editorial
Published: September 22, 2008

» SUMMARY: Renovations at CCHS will be a huge benefit to students and the community.

Discussions began several years ago about a plan to renovate the 40-year-old Culpeper County High School and help bring the aging facility up to par with newer school buildings in the Culpeper district.

A report from 2005 indicated that more than half of the mechanical and electrical equipment inside the school is more than seven years “past its useful life.” The need for improvements has been made even more obvious with the opening of Eastern View High School, where half the county’s high school students have the benefit of brand new facilities and equipment.

The cost for the renovations at CCHS is estimated at between $1.5 and 2.5 million annually for several years. Officials said the money would come from the Capital Improvement Plan account. Even in these trying economic times, the decision to renovate the school will be money well spent. Students, faculty and staff should not have to go to school in a building with so many mechanical problems.

Furthermore, the aging and unsightly building at CCHS doesn’t help the growing tension between Eastern View and CCHS. Those who remained at Culpeper County High School can be understandably frustrated with the condition of their school.

Improving the safety and efficiency of the school’s mechanical equipment would also be a boost for the community as CCHS is still home to many public events, from sports to the arts. The benefits of conserving energy in such a large public building can also not be underestimated.

We hope the plan to improve the facilities at CCHS will move forward without a hitch.