Should new Washington-Lee High School Cost 75% More than Comparable Northern Virginia Schools?
That question has been at the heart of our concern about the replacement high school, and that is the question raised by an article in today's Arlington Sun-Gazette. The paper reports, "At a projected cost of $95 million and a projected enrollment of 1,500 students, the school's cost works out to $63,333 per student. That's considerably higher, on a per-student basis, than some other figures reported by the National Clearinghouse for Education Facilities, which tracks school construction costs." According to the School Board chair: "There are some things we value and are simply willing to pay more for." But 75% more? The article also takes note that school enrollment is declining. We looked on the Schools website, and found they are projecting that enrollment for W-L will be down to 1,387 by 2010 from it's current 1,522.