Concerns arise about new Peach County High School site

FORT VALLEY -- At Tuesday's Peach County school board meeting, concerns arose about the status of the proposed construction of a new high school.

The new school was approved on a referendum last March, with the understanding that it would be built of Ga. 49 near Moseley Road. Peach County resident Charlie Adams alleged that the school board might be moving the site closer to Byron, which still might satisfy language in the referendum calling for a location in the central portion of the county.

"The referendum passed by a substantial majority, but now it appears that the board is considering changing the site to an unspecified tract near the Byron city limits and the new hospital," Adams said, citing disagreements between the district and the seller on the cost of the land as well as the district and the county's utility commission.

The utility issue is based on a needed sewer line and lift station that Adams said would cost $1.5 million.

Board members confirmed there had been discussion as to who would foot the bill for the sewer work -- the Fort Valley Utilities Commission or the school system.

"If sewer was there, we would already be closed," said board Chairman Ben McDaniel.

While McDaniel and Superintendent Daryl Fineran assured Adams that negotiations were ongoing to settle the sewer dispute, Fort Valley Mayor Barbara Williams said those discussions had met an impasse.

"The vice chairman (Robert Hunnicutt) gave us a report this morning ... that we were nowhere with the negotiations," she said.

The dispute is based on promises made to the district about the sewer arrangements made by previous utilities Director Dan Thompson, Williams said. She noted that any decision regarding the commission paying for such a project would need to be made by the utilities commission as a whole.

McDaniel confirmed that the board had looked at other sites between Byron and Fort Valley, but the Mosely Road location remains the only property the district has a purchase option on.

"We're pursuing that site," he said. "It's going to work out."

The board also voted unanimously -- minus member Jamie Johnson, who was absent due to illness -- to approve block scheduling at Peach County High School beginning with the 2016-17 school year.

"We can do this, at this time, without adding any teachers," said Peach County High School Principal Al Pollard.

Board members pointed to benefits for in-depth learning and classroom projects, with each class lasting about 90 minutes instead of 45 or 50 minutes.

"If you can afford block, it's got more pluses than minuses than anything else," Pollard said.

Board member B.J. Walker supported the move but said he wanted to make sure the district didn't switch schedule formats too often.

"My only reservation is sticking with something that works," Walker said.

The Peach County school board's next meeting will be its study session on Feb. 23 at 6 p.m.

To contact writer Jeremy Timmerman, call 744-4331 or find him on Twitter@MTJTimm.

Correction: An earlier version of this story contained an error. Any mention of the City of Fort Valley being part of the sewer negotiations should have mentioned the Fort Valley Utilities Commission instead.

This story was originally published February 2, 2016 at 8:07 PM with the headline "Concerns arise about new Peach County High School site ."