Murray getting specific about SPLOST for schools

Published 10:26 pm Saturday, December 9, 2006

CHATSWORTH — Members of the Murray County Board of Education are working to nail down the finer points of a resolution proposing a new SPLOST and bond issue to pay for a new high school and other improvements.

Stephen Loughridge, the system’s director of finance, presented a rough draft to the board Thursday night during a work session of a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax referendum that would be presented to the state to authorize a special election on March 20.

If approved by voters, the referendum would also authorize the school board to sell 10-year bonds to raise money to build the new high school and roof the existing high school as soon as possible.

“We need to set the bonds at a sufficient amount, so we’re trying to come up with a reasonable cost of a new high school so we can set our bond limit,” Loughridge said. “The clock is ticking. We’ve got to get our resolution certified in Atlanta before we can hold a special election.”

Monies collected could also go toward system-wide technology, a new gym at Spring Place Elementary, and other capital projects, such as remodeling the “Rock Building,” the original county high school, as a central office.

The board is scheduled to present the SPLOST referendum proposal at Monday’s 7 p.m. board meeting at Chatsworth Elementary. A work session will begin at 6 p.m.

Also at Thursday’s work session, board members:

• Discussed a rewrite of the policy for the district’s Gifted Program. Some board members questioned why the minimum grade average for consideration in the program was dropped from a “B” to a score of 75.

• Requested an update on the progress of talks between the architects and roofers assigned to roof the Rock Building. Board member Julius Weyman said he’s concerned about weather-proofing the structure as soon as possible.

• Made changes to a proposed 2007-2008 school calendar. Superintendent Vickie Reed said she took requests from teachers and made adjustments. Teachers would now have five days of preplanning, a week’s vacation at Thanksgiving, a day off on Jan. 2, and would be allowed to makeup snow days for 2-3 hours a day after school.

• Made plans to hear proposals from Wink Mechanical and Energy Systems Group on an energy conservation plan. Dean Donehoo, director of administrative services, said one of the companies will be hired to help the district conserve energy; replace aging and outmoded heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems; address lighting concerns; and improve air quality.

Donehoo said schools such as Eton and Coker have experienced moisture from unconditioned air, resulting in mold problems.

• Discussed ways to tear down or otherwise dismantle the 1950s-era gym at the old Eton school, which is not structurally sound.