Site work could begin at new school site this fall
Site preparation work for the new Hartselle High School could begin by the first of November.
Hartselle School Board members learned of the plans at its regular meeting Monday night. Project manager Brian Moore said his plan is to get a preliminary site package out for bids by mid-September in order to start excavation and dirt moving operations prior to the onset of winter weather.
“We have so much dirt to move it’s important for that to be done prior to the letting of the construction bid package in January 2011,” Moore said. “At the same time bids will be accepted on the final site prep package.”
Moore said topsoil would be removed from the eight acres of wetlands and stored on the area that will later become the main parking lot. In addition, the streambed for the water feature will be cut, the site of the main school building will be back filled and a roadway to the construction site will be build from Road Road.
Moore said Roan Road will be used for vehicle traffic.
Also, Gary L. Owen Jr., vice president of architecture for the architect, Goodwin, Mills and Cawood, gave a presentation of the school design, with assistance from co-worker Ellen Johnson.
The school will have entrances and exits from both Roan and Bethel Roads with the Roan Road gateway designed to carry the bulk of traffic. The main parking lot will be located on the north side of the campus. The two-story academic wing will front on Bethel Road and will contain administrative offices and classrooms for core classes and science and math laboratories. The façade of the old girl’s gym on the high school campus has been used in the design of the building. Other amenities include a 1,600 seat competitive gymnasium, a 1,200-seat auditorium, a media center, cafeteria, and practice facilities for football, soccer, baseball and softball.
An animated video showing ground level and aerial views of the proposed school plant was shown. It will be downloaded on the school’s website and available for public viewing.
The board acted on agenda items as follows:
• Approved contract renewals for the 2010-11 school year with the Mental Health center of North Alabama for an at-risk counselor and a drug counselor and Behavioral Health Systems (Safety First Division) to conduct drug testing for students and drug and alcohol testing for bus drivers.
• Approved policy revisions as follows: IHA-grading system, IHAA-final examinations, IHE-promotion and retention, IHE-R-delete promotion and retention policy (add portions to IHE) and JBD- absences and excuses.
• Accepted a low bid of $71,560 each from Southland International for the purchase of three new school buses.
• Approved Guarantee Trust Life Insurance Co. as the carrier for student insurance coverage during the 2010-11 school year.
Personnel items were acted on as follows:
• Approved the resignation of Kenny Lopez as coach of the junior high boy’s and girl’s tennis teams, effective Aug. 2.
• Approved the employment of Codi Barthel as speech-language pathologist at F.E. Burleson Elementary School for the 2010-11 school year.
• Approved the employment of Kelly Gates as school counselor at F.E. Burleson Elementary School for the 2010-11 school year.
• Approved the employment of Wendy Wiley Hale as an instructional aide for the 2010-11 school year.
• Approved the employment of Keith Wright as varsity boy’s basketball coach at Hartselle High School for the 2010-11 school year.
• Approved the employment of Kenny Lopez as varsity boy’s and girl’s track and field coach at Hartselle High School for the 2010-11 school year.
•Approve d pay for Kenny Lopez and Rhonda Miller for hours worked during the 2010 summer school.
