Board OKs $36 million capital plan

By Staff
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
A $36 million five-year capital improvement plan with a new high school listed at the top was approved by the Hartselle School Board at its regular meeting Monday night.
The proposed new school is described in the plan as a facility capable of accommodating 1,200 students in grades 9-12. It would be constructed on a Bethel Road site already owned by the school board. Although the projected construction start date is listed as 2008, the funding source remains unknown.
The capital plan lists 17 projects, of which 16 are carryovers from fiscal 2006-07. The newcomer is the resurfacing of the parking lot at J. P. Cain Stadium at an estimated cost of $100,000. The project is ranked third in priority with a state bond issue for schools listed as the funding source. It is scheduled for completion in 2008.
Other projects slated for 2008 are:
Other projects with completion dates ranging from 2009 to 2012 are:
"Now, we just need to get the money to do the work," said board member Kathy Goodwin after the board voted unanimously to approve the capital plan.
School officials have given strong support to the idea of passing a 12.5 mill property tax to fund the new high school; however, the process of getting the proposal before voters got sidetracked during the most recent state legislative session. Morgan County's legislative delegation requires unanimous consent from a local governing body on any local act before it is brought before the legislature for a vote. Councilman Bill Drake opted not to support a property tax vote resolution and prevent it from getting legislative consideration.
In other matters, the board approved five out-of-state field trip requests, accepted a low bid for the purchase of a new school bus and approved a job description for the position of administrative assistant to the superintendent.
Class trips were approved for the second grade class at Barkley Bridge Elementary to visit the Nashville Zoo Oct. 12, the fourth grade class at Versatile Elementary to visit the Aquarium in Chattanooga Oct. 19, the fifth grade class at F. E. Burleson Elementary to visit Ruby Falls in Chattanooga Oct. 19, the Hartselle Junior High eighth grade class to visit the Parthenon in Nashville Nov. 10 and the Hartselle High Band to participate in the Veterans Day Parade in New York City Nov. 9.
Transportation South was awarded a contract to provide the school system with a new, 72-passenger school bus on a bid of $72,655.