One majority project is behind schedule and another may soon be.
During its regular meeting Friday, the Lowndes County School Board got an update on a variety of projects and met in executive session to discuss another, but took no action.
Joey Henderson of JBHA Architects provided an update on projects in Caledonia, New Hope and West Lowndes. Those projects range from parking lot paving to field houses to schools.
Of particular note, Henderson said was the progress of the new elementary school at Caledonia.
“The pad and dirt work have been completed, finally,” Henderson said. “The first concrete was poured Wednesday — about 9,000 square feet — so there is progress being made, but we’re probably a good two-to-three months behind schedule.”
Henderson said the delays were a results of the extremely wet spring.
Board president Jane Kilgore asked when the school would be completed.
“Originally, we had hoped to finish by May of 2016,” Henderson said. “Now, it looks like it might be August. That doesn’t give us much time to transition if the school is going to be open in the fall.”
Henderson said while the sewer installation at New Hope High School and the parking lot paving at West Lowndes are on schedule, another project is facing a delay as well.
“We expect to have our final inspection of the New Hope field house next week,” he said. “Locker delivery is still an issue, though. Right now, the lockers are still on a dock in China and you’re looking at about 30 days from the time they leave until they get to Memphis. There is a three-to-four day installation period, so you’re looking at late August or early September before we get them in.”
Henderson said arrangements for temporary lockers have been made to accommodate the football team until the new lockers arrive and are installed.
While those delays were beyond the district’s control, another potential delay rest squarely with the board’s indecision.
The board met in executive session to discuss land acquisition for the district’s new vocational center, but did not reach a decision. Henderson has said a site needs to be selected by August so work can begin.
In other business
The board approved four new positions in the district while eliminating two existing positions.
Caledonia Elementary School and New Hope Elementary School will get an additional assistant teacher, while the district will add an assistant teacher and a driver’s education instructor at Caledonia High School. Two custodian positions at West Lowndes were eliminated following the board’ s previous decision to outsource custodial services there.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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