The Greene County Board of Education (BOE) meeting last week opened with recognition from the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) as an Exemplary Board.
This is the third year the BOE has received the award. It is the highest award level in GSBA’s recognition program.
“The acknowledgment shows that collectively we work together,” Chairman Dr. Lee Perry said. “The leadership of the board is twofold. The chairman is elected, and Superintendent Dr. Houston works with the board to identify agenda items for the public. Houston runs the system, and we help make decisions. I want to thank every board member for doing an exemplary job.”
District 1 board member Steve Kilgore was renamed vice chair, a position held for five years.
Several requests for proposal (RFP) were presented by BOE construction manager Ralph Boswell. RFPs are defined as crucial needs requiring products or services, in this case, roofing for two buildings. The RFPs ultimately go to the state for procurement.
The board identified the need for a new roof for Greene County Primary, not to exceed $600,000 in cost.
Located in Union Point, the school has been the subject of contentious debate as to the board’s decision to close the facility and relocate students to a new facility under construction at Meadow Crest Road.
Many county officials and residents have voiced concerns about closing the facility, which the BOE contends is outdated and too small to accommodate the county’s growth.
According to the BOE, there are no plans yet for the building, but it will “stay in the fleet.” Houston said the building will initially be used for storage and that the roof has been repaired in the past but now needs to be replaced.
A new roof for Greene County High School has also been identified for an RFP. Houston said the building, completed in 1980, has had several patches, and a lot of funds have been spent making quick repairs. A new roof will bring the building to full code compliance, provide necessary improved insulation, and update its HVAC systems.
Funding for both roofs will come from ESPLOST funds approved by the voters last year.
Additionally, another RFP will come for a new theater for Greene County High School giving it a musical theater program. Renovations would include new lighting, surround sound system, projector, carpet, paint, and controls. The theater is original to its 1980 design.
Finally, an RFP was approved for a new greenhouse at the high school. An old one sits unused at the rear of the property.
District 4 board member Dr. Maggie Kjer – whose seat is being challenged in the upcoming election by Maggie Combs – commented that horticulture is important to the state and that a new building is much more than metal and glass.
“We need to promote this,” she said. “It will be a good learning environment in our programs, and it will complement the success of the College and Career Academy. There are many people here who are horticulturists. It is part of a much bigger plan and feeds into the growth and importance of agriculture in the state.”