Bibb BOE selects architect for new Northeast, Appling buildings

The Bibb County school board approved steps for several capital projects Thursday, including a $35 million new complex for Northeast High School and Appling Middle School.

Design work for that project and an upgraded transportation facility were awarded to WM2A Architects of Macon. Jason Daniel, the district’s executive director of capital programs, pointed to the Howard and Rutland schools as an example of what taxpayers could expect in east Macon.

“We’re envisioning something similar at the Northeast site,” he said.

Board members expressed concerns about the size of the property at Northeast High School, where the new facilities will be built. The current Northeast building can hold as many as 2,000 students, Daniel said, adding that the two schools currently have about 1,500 students combined.

He also said the district hopes to avoid traffic concerns that have been a problem, particularly in the Howard zone.

“It’s very preliminary,” Daniel said. “We’ve got to go through the design process.”

Porter Elementary School will also undergo renovations, with that project being awarded to Macon-based Sheridan Construction.

Additionally, classrooms across the district will be getting the interactive panels that were put in place at 13 schools earlier this school year. The board also voted to bring the camera and enhanced audio systems that are currently used at Ballard-Hudson Middle School to the rest of the middle schools as well as the new Veterans Elementary School.

In addition to benefits in professional development, Superintendent Curtis Jones said he is hopeful the cameras could help with efforts to improve discipline. He expects that as teachers become better trained to use the system, students will remember they are being recorded before they misbehave.

“That’s going to lead to a different mindset,” he said.

The board also heard Thursday an update on Macon Charter Academy, with Jones saying the district is exploring all options available. The state education department recently delayed the process for terminating the school’s charter after MCA filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in bankruptcy court on May 4.

Jones said he wants to make parents of MCA students aware of transfer options, adding that Bibb County officials are determining whether the district could pursue termination or if that request could be made of the state board.

“We will be able to make a decision middle of next week,” Jones said.

The Bibb County school board’s next scheduled meeting is set for June 16.

This story was originally published May 19, 2016 at 8:10 PM with the headline "Bibb BOE selects architect for new Northeast, Appling buildings."