By Debbie Adams
The Roanoke County Board of Supervisors and the Roanoke County School Board have given
their approval to a revised interim agreement with Branch Builds which will allow a renovation
and expansion project to move forward at W.E. Cundiff Elementary School (WEC). The
agreement also allows the construction of the new Career and Technical Education Center off
Peters Creek Road to proceed, along with renovations at Glen Cove Elementary.
The W.E. Cundiff and Glen Cove renovations have long been under discussion due to both
schools’ open classroom design— once a trend in elementary school education in the 1970s, but
now considered a hindrance to learning. These are the only two open concept elementary schools
remaining in Virginia.
On December 7, 2023, the School Board selected a proposal by Branch Companies/RRMM
Architects and Balzer & Associates to construct the new CTE center and renovate and expand
W.E. Cundiff and Glen Cove.
The entire project will cost $132 million with approximately $80 million dedicated to building the
new CTE center and $50 million to renovating and expanding the two elementary schools.
“We are very excited to move forward with these much-needed projects,” said Dr. Ken Nicely,
superintendent of Roanoke County Public Schools. “This announcement is the culmination of a lot
of work, planning and preparation. Our staff has put in countless hours of advance work to identify
what we need to include in the new CTE center and what improvements we need to make at Glen
Cove and W.E. Cundiff.”
“We’re looking to start these projects this coming summer and that wouldn’t have been possible
without the support of the School Board, Board of Supervisors and Citizens Advisory Committee.
We are very thankful for their partnership in helping us identify the site, scope, and funding to get
these projects underway.”
“The funding for this project was the result of a memorandum of understanding between the
Roanoke County School Board and the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors earlier this year to
provide $130 million to allow these projects to start as soon as summer 2024,” said Brent Hudson,
chairman of the Roanoke County School Board said at the December 7 meeting. “We thank the
Board of Supervisors for working with us to move these projects forward quickly.”
Renovations and expansions at Cundiff and Glen Cove elementary schools will include removal of
the outdated open concept classrooms, which will allow for more effective instruction and greater
opportunities for interactive, hands-on instruction.
At WEC, plans include a new front entrance, a new cafeteria, a new administrative and entry point,
and the addition of several classrooms.
Cundiff Elementary first floor.
The total costs at Cundiff are estimated at $28,366,412 based on renovations to the interior of the
building and approximately 15,900 gross square feet in new additions.
Cundiff second floor
Dr. Nicely, along with representatives from Branch Builds and RRMM Architects, made a
presentation to the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 13 on plans for the project and the need to
approve a revised interim agreement to get work underway. The completion date for all three
schools is anticipated for July 31, 2026. The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the
agreement at the meeting.
Tammy Shepherd, who represents Vinton on the Board of Supervisors, said she is very excited
about the project looking forward as she and her four children all attended the school, once known
as Hardy Road Elementary.
Subsequently, the School Board approved the revised interim agreement at a special called meeting
on Feb. 16.
“The School Board has fought hard to make these three projects a reality for five years now,”
said Vinton School Board representative Tim Greenway. “We are all extremely happy to see this
reality finally come to fruition.”
