Bibb BOE hears progress of construction projects
The Bibb County school board heard updates on two construction projects Thursday, both of which will be ready well in advance of next school year.
One is the new Veterans Elementary, a consolidation of Morgan and Barden elementary schools, expected to be completed by mid-June.
"There's been a lot of work going on at this location," said Jason Daniel, the district's executive director of capital programs.
While more work remains on the gym, administrative offices and cafeteria, two classroom wings already have paint on the walls and some furniture in the rooms.
"They're near completion at this point," Daniel said of the classroom wings.
A little more than $10 million has gone toward that project, which is about 62 percent of the $16.7 million budget.
The other project is ongoing at the Dr. Robert J. Williams Complex on Anthony Road, formerly the Promise Center. That property will become a partnership of Central Georgia Technical College and the Hutchings Career Academy, and the renovation is expected to be complete on April 1.
"So we're right around the corner of being complete at this location," Daniel said.
That project has used about $3.5 million, or 59 percent of its $6 million budget.
Board chairman Lester Miller was pleased with the progress and financial status of the projects as a sign of the proper selection of vendors and contractors as well as "diligent" use of taxpayers' money.
"I think it provides confidence in the process," he said.
Superintendent Curtis Jones said that the status of those projects and successful, timely completion would be a step toward one of his goals for the district.
"One of the areas that we've tried to focus on is being a reliable organization," he said.
The board also approved a reduction in force that saw 30 jobs cut from the district's faculty and staff. Of those positions, 19 were grant-funded positions while the other 11 were a result of the consolidation for Veterans Elementary.
Jones noted that job termination is typical when grants reach the end of their cycle. Meanwhile, Miller said he hoped some of the employees leaving due to consolidation might apply for any openings created after faculty and staff make their contract decisions in the coming weeks.
"It appears to be a lot less than we've had in previous years, so that's a good sign," Miller said of the reduction.
The next Bibb County school board meeting is set for March 17, with the committee portion set to begin at 4 p.m. and the regular meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
To contact writer Jeremy Timmerman, call 744-4331 or find him on Twitter@MTJTimm.
This story was originally published February 18, 2016 at 8:17 PM with the headline "Bibb BOE hears progress of construction projects ."