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Read comments (11)That was the report from American Constructors' Tom Grott at Thursday night's meeting of Bedford County Board of Education.
Meanwhile, Grott presented several change orders and additional costs for the work being done at Central High School, but all of them are within the contingencies and allowances built into the school's budget, and so no new money will be required. In fact, at the present rate the project still looks like it will come in with contingency funds to spare.
Students will be moved out of portable classrooms during spring break and into classrooms in the existing part of the SCHS building, where renovation has been taking place and will continue through the summer. Amercan Constructors suggested that the vacated portables be moved right away, in order to facilitate grading, but School Superintendent Ed Gray said that's short notice and that the school system isn't sure where the portables will be stored or needed next school year and doesn't want to pay to move them twice.
The current building program will alleviate some (though not all) of the school system's need for portables. Older portables can eventually be switched out for newer ones, and then the older ones can be declared surplus and disposed of. But in the meantime, it's not clear where the extra portables should be stored.
"That's a nice problem to have," said School Board member Ron Adcock.
Architect Steven Curtis of Davis Stokes Collaborative discussed the status of the next building project, the replacement building for Community High School. The plans for that building are awaiting approval from the state fire marshal's office and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, which must approve the septic system design. Curtis said the school system should be able to take bids on the project in mid-to-late April and consider a guaranteed maximum price at the May board meeting, with construction to begin June 1. That's a little later than originally scheduled, but Curtis said the project should still be on track to open for the 2009-2010 school year. Board member Amy Martin, whose district includes the school, pushed him on the issue, saying the project does not need any further delays.
Gray pointed out that there may have to be some hiring for both the Community and Learning Way projects in the 2008-2009 fiscal year budget, since some of the additional employees who will be required may need to start in spring or early summer 2009.
Bud Melson, the county's construction consultant, said he was pleased with the progress of all three of the projects: SCHS, Learning Way and Community.
"We're watching every dollar," said Melson.
County people are always jealous of Shelbyville.
-- Posted by jweems64 on Sun, Mar 16, 2008, at 4:37 PM
If county schools are so great and you are happy there, fine. Just dont get bent out of shape when the city schools get something that is needed.
Just because County schools are like Walnut Grove where grades K-12 are in one classroom with Laura Ingalls teaching, dont be criticizing what modern 4A schools do.
-- Posted by jweems64 on Sun, Mar 16, 2008, at 8:37 PM
If I were to judge a "modern 4A school" on the strength of your posts, I would conclude students walk away with that narrow minded perception of life, commonly known as self- entitlement.
Kind of like Nellie Olsen.
Thankfully I do not judge the student body, and parents, of any individual school system by one person's baseless comments.
All of the children in Bedford County are worthy of a safe and healthy learning environment.
A new building is needed for the good students of Cascade, Community and Liberty, just as a new building was needed for the good students of Central and Harris.
Sorry, but K12 schools aren't as backwards as you might think.
Gotta run and put the coal in the stove so my room will get warm.
If county schools are so great and you are happy there, fine. Just dont get bent out of shape when the city schools get something that is needed.
Just because County schools are like Walnut Grove where grades K-12 are in one classroom with Laura Ingalls teaching, dont be criticizing what modern 4A schools do.
County people are always jealous of Shelbyville.
Response by John Carney:
A high school for Liberty is, actually, in the school system's 10-year plan, depending on the student numbers. A new high school for Cascade is also in the plan. The county bought property at the same time for expansion at Community, Cascade and Liberty.
That is good to know.
Are Cascade and Community within the same 10 year plan as Liberty? If not, what timeline is proposed for each school?
After the current wave of building projects, the 10-year plan calls for a new high school at Cascade and a new elementary school in the northern end of the county (such as in the Deason area). As far as I know, they don't yet have property for the elementary school.
I think the high school at Liberty was at the very end of the 10-year plan, and only if high school student numbers were such that it would justify having a fourth high school.
A lot will depend on the economy, and tax revenue, and on state school funding. The current wave of building projects is pretty expensive, and every new project will add to the county's debt.
I've always wondered why Liberty doesn't have a high-school? Lots of parents of children there fear for their kids to go to "Shebvul".
Never been to Cascade HS area to even see what it looks like.
They don't even know Cascade is in Bedford County. Elect a new school board and clean house...
I could not agree with you more! Cascade HS is a wreck.
i wish they would do more with community cascade and liberty!! we kinda seem to get forgotten out in the county!! i am glad we are getting the new high school at community but seems everyone else is first priority to schools out in county.
That whole area with CHS And Harris and now the new elementary school is beginning to look like a college campus and a nice one at that. Too bad we dont have a college or a university here. That would be a great asset.