The Lowndes County School District board approved a $97.5 million budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year during a Friday meeting.
The budget notably includes $37.4 million in construction projects for the fiscal year. Superintendent Lynn Wright told The Dispatch after Friday’s meeting the expenditures are a continuation of projects the district began last year after a major bond issuance. Voters approved $44 million in bonds for six projects in May 2015. Wright said the bonds will complete the two-phase, $75 million construction project plan the board first approved in 2013. The remaining $31 million comes from LCSD’s fund balance and lease-purchases.
Last year, the district approved a $121 million budget, which also included money for the capital projects.
According to a list JBHM Architecture provided to The Dispatch, LCSD’s bond projects include an $11 million career technology and education center; a $1.8 million field house at Caledonia High School; $1.7 million for a Caledonia campus master plan, additions and renovations; $24 million for new construction at New Hope High School; $1.2 million for parking lot expansion and resurfacing at West Lowndes Elementary School; and $740,000 for a new weight room at West Lowndes School, along with additions and renovations at West Lowndes Elementary School.
Additional projects include $26 million for a new Caledonia Elementary School.
All listed projects have anticipated 2016 or 2017 completion dates.
The board voted 2-1 to approve the budget. Board member Jacqueline Gray opposed it. Board President Brian Clark and member Jane Kilgore voted in favor of it. Robert Barksdale and Wesley Barrett were absent from Friday’s meeting.
LCSD’s budget includes $55 million in revenues.
Career tech center bid approved
The board voted 2-1, with Gray opposing, to approve an $11.1 million bid for the career technology and education center construction.
The board awarded the bid to Columbus-based West Brothers Construction. Architect Joey Henderson said about $682,000 of the project will come from the district’s furniture fund to pay for some furniture and equipment that will be installed in the facility.
Henderson said the facility should be completed by the end of 2017.
Wright said the career tech center will be built on Lehmberg Road near Lowndes Funeral Home. He said students that attend classes at the center will attend their regular high school, commute to the career tech center for certain classes, then return to school.
The center will offer classes for engineering skills, welding, construction, culinary skills and more.
“We’re going to be offering about 14 different classes there that are career-oriented,” Wright said. “We’re going to be working with EMCC for classes that will offer dual-enrollment and dual credit. They’ll be learning skills where they can go on for more advanced training at EMCC or one of our institutions of higher learning, or enter the workforce.”
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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