New school moves closer to reality
Workers soon will be raising the roof on Columbia County's newest elementary school.
This aerial view looking northeast from Furys Ferry and North Belair roads shows the cleared site of Columbia Countys new elementary school about half a mile from the intersection. The school board Tuesday awarded a construction bid for the school, expected to open in 2005.
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The school board Tuesday night awarded the project to R.E. Shearer, with the company submitting the low bid of $6.2 million. The project was initially estimated to cost $5.5 million, but with the rising cost of steel, school officials said they were pleased at the final figure.
"We were prepared for the worst," Superintendent Tommy Price said. "I think the results were pretty good."
Shearer is expected to begin construction next month. The deadline for substantial completion is July 18, 2005. Located on 24 acres at Conn and Mullikin roads, the 36-room school will be modeled after Lewiston Elementary and will relieve Greenbrier, Riverside and Stevens Creek elementary schools.
Also at the meeting, the board awarded architectural and engineering contracts to begin construction on the new Evans Middle School. Expected to cost around $11 million, the school will be modeled after Greenbrier Middle and will have 40 classrooms.
School officials also approved the purchase of the land, which cost $25,000 an acre. The 39-acre site is located near the Hereford Farm and Gibbs roads intersection, within a mile of Evans High School. The system's new administration building will also be on the property. The middle school, which is projected to cost $11 million, is expected to open in 2006.
It will replace Evans Middle's existing site on Washington Road, which was sold to developers to turn into commercial property.
In other business:
The board gave final approval to the new 2004-2005 budget. It projects revenues of $120 million and expenditures of $126 million, with the $6 million shortfall to come from system reserves. The new budget will include about $262,000 to air condition 43 school buses. Though the system will not increase its millage rate, the tax digest is expected to grow by 6 percent.
Mona Reynolds, 32, was named the new assistant principal for Evans Middle School. She has been an educator for the past eight years and taught science for the past three years at Greenbrier Middle School. She will soon be earning her education specialist degree.
"I am so elated to be promoted to this position," she said. "I am very fortunate to serve the students of Columbia County, and for me to move into this position is just awesome for me."
A schedule was released for upcoming rollback hearings, which are required before the school system sets its millage rate for the next year. Those public hearings will be held: July 13 at 7:30 a.m., Savannah Rapids Pavilion; July 13 at 6 p.m., Evans Government Complex; and July 20 at 7:30 a.m., Greenbrier High School.