By Jessica Coleman -- Daily Staff Writer

FRONT ROYAL — The Warren County School Board voted Thursday to let Warren County and Skyline high schools be used as polling places.

Warren County High School will take the place of the Marlowe Heights Baptist Church in the Happy Creek precinct. Skyline High School will take the place of Ressie Jeffries Elementary School in the South River precinct. The change take effect in time for the November elections, said Superintendent Pamela McInnis, and Election Day is usually a professional day for teachers, so pupils would not be there to create traffic problems, she added.

The impetus of this change, according to a letter from County Administrator Douglas Stanley to McInnis, is concern on the part of the Warren County Electoral Board about insufficient parking and handicap accessibility at the two former polling places.

Skyline High School is having an access ramp built at the community entrance to allow for 100 percent accessibility.

"That's the goal — to make voting accessible for everyone," said Carol Tobin, Warren County general registrar of voters.

Also during Thursday's meeting, the board:

* Approved a motion to ask the Board of Supervisors to increase the panel's budget for the 2008-09 fiscal year by $79,340. These extra funds include a $5,000 grant from Wal-Mart and a $6,738 grant from the Warren County Educational Endowment. In addition, the actual state funding was originally estimated at $67,602 less than was actually received. The panel recommended that $21,000 of the additional funding be allocated to the technology department to partially offset the 6 percent reduction that helped to balance the budget. The uses for the remaining money were not allocated at the meeting.

* Approved a motion to ask that the supervisors submit an application to the Virginia Public School Authority for a general obligation bond for school construction for up to $20 million. The method of financing the renovation of the old Warren County High School at Luray Avenue into a middle school has yet to be decided. However, financing through VSPA is the most likely method at this point, according to School Board documents. The deadline for applications is Aug. 21. Supervisors will hold a work session Tuesday to discuss financing options for the renovation.

* Approved a motion to submit an annual consolidated grant application to the Virginia Department of Education for federal funds. Once approved by the department, Warren County Public Schools will have funds available to provide services such as reading and substance-abuse awareness programs, a document in the panel's packet reads.

* Approved a contract for Jack Evans Chevrolet and Cadillac Inc. for the purchase of a 2008 Chevrolet Express Van for $17,000. The vehicle is a replacement to be used as a work van for the maintenance department.

* Approved the creation of the Suzette W. Neff Scholarship. The scholarship is donated by Glenn Neff in the amount of $500 to be awarded annually to a Warren County High School senior who exemplifies qualities of scholarship and leadership.

* Contact Jessica Coleman at jcoleman@nvdaily.com

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