School board OKs $20 million project

By Tara Kaprowy

Looking at sketches that would fuse South Laurel middle and high schools into one conglomerate, school board members thoroughly discussed renovations for the aging institutions Monday.

Director of Finance Jim Kennedy and Sherman-Carter-Barnhart Project Manager Kevin Cheek walked board members through a three-phase plan of action that will ultimately link the two schools together via a 450-seat auditorium.

The renovation, with a price tag of over $20 million, will additionally result in a net gain of 10 classrooms and add a state-of-the-art library to South Laurel Middle School. The schools could also undergo serious facelifts.

Kennedy said phase I will happen in the summer and involves installing heating, air conditioning and fire suppression systems in South Laurel High School, as well as replacing the ceiling, roof and lighting. Restrooms will also be renovated.

Phase II will focus on site preparation, earth moving and utility preparation, work that must be completed by fall 2007.

The meat of the project will take place in phase III, which is slated to be completed by fall 2008. South Laurel Middle School will see the bulk of the changes, with its library and administrative offices being overhauled to house eight new classrooms, two of which will accommodate students with special needs.

Extra space will be added to the cafeteria and a brand new library will sit adjacent to the auditorium, which will be fronted by a window-lined lobby.

New band and chorus rooms will be built for both schools, and will lie adjacent to one another and to the auditorium.

Cheek said alarms would be installed at either end of the auditorium to prevent commingling of the two student bodies.

The schools’ parking situation was also addressed. According to the new plan, the lot in front of the high school will double in size. The rear parking lot will be fitted with strategic green space that will help funnel traffic in alternate directions to prevent traffic and accidents.

“You’ll no longer have a melee in a sea of asphalt,” Cheek said.

The solution was not one that immediately sat well with Principal Regina Bishop, who said the design continued to allow too many exit points that prevented her from controlling where her students go.

“I just want to contain them,” she said.

Bishop suggested adding more parking in front of the school, though Kennedy was reluctant to sacrifice the school’s green space.

Bishop and Kennedy continued to iron out the details while Cheek continued with the presentation, explaining the face of the middle school will change significantly, with both the heavily windowed library and auditorium lending curves to the front of the school.

Cheek suggested the colors of the building be altered from bright white to muted buff and that cut-stone accents be added.

Asking few questions, board members approved the schematic drawings for all three phases of the project and the design development for phase I. Motion was made by Tommy Smith, seconded by Eddie Jones and unanimously approved.

Immediately following approval, Kennedy and Cheek proposed the importance of also fixing the face of the high school, a project they foresee costing an additional $500,000.

“It’s somewhat difficult to identify the main entry,” Cheek said. “We felt what would be good is to tie the architecture in the back to the front of the school.”

The new face of SLHS would involve adding an arc to the end of the two canopies that line the front entrance, as well as staining the brick to match that of the middle school.

Board members agreed to explore the concept. Motion was made by Jones, seconded by Schenkenfelder and unanimously approved.

In other action pertaining to the renovation, school board members:

• Approved the construction documents for South Laurel Middle School’s new field house and bleachers, a $596,000 project. The bleachers will be able to accommodate 1,500 spectators, while the 2,400-square foot field building will house rest rooms, a concession stand, storage space and dressing rooms. The field house will lie directly west of the middle school and will accommodate football, softball, baseball and soccer teams. Motion was made by Jones, seconded by Schenkenfelder and unanimously approved.

• Hired Dupree & Company to act as bonding agent for the South Laurel middle and high school renovation at a rate of $4 per $1,000. Motion made by Binder, seconded by Smith and unanimously approved.

• Adopted a reimbursement resolution for the South Laurel high and middle school renovation projects. The resolution states the board will issue about $20,590,000 in bonds to finance the project. All expenses for the project will be paid with the bond money. Motion made by Jones, seconded by Smith and unanimously approved.





Staff writer Tara Kaprowy can be reached by e-mail at tkaprowy@sentinel-echo. com.

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