The Switzerland County Community School Board approved the preliminary drawings for its $2 million expansion and renovation project at Jeff Craig Elementary School during its Monday, July 20 meeting.
The board continued to get its ducks in a row as it moves towards bidding the project this fall.
Mike Archer was approved as construction project manager.
Terry Lancer and Lancer and BeeBee, LLC was named as the architectural company.
Umbaugh & Associates was approved for financial advisory services and Barnes & Thornburg for legal service in issuing bonds.
A structural review was given by Wes Harrison who found half a dozen small items, such as sealing exterior joints, which need to be addressed but otherwise the building has been well maintained. He said there was nothing that would be a deterrent to an addition. However, they are items that should be addressed.
During his visual observation he did not see any evidence of fire damage from years ago which had concerned board member Jill Cord.
The cost of the addition is $1.7 million will include 10 new rooms, restrooms, a workroom, staff restrooms, new lockers and taking down an old chimney.
Before starting construction the playground areas will be moved. An outdoor storage building will not affected.
The overall $2 million cost will allow for alternate bids for renovation in the music room and the office areas.
The clinic restroom does not meet ADA requirements. The alternate bid would look at adding a conference room and moving the principal office. The design would add space without taking away one of the big classrooms.
In the music area, the corridor could be extended and storage added so that people would no longer have to go through the music room to get to another classroom.
The new addition will be made of structural steel.
Lancer will redefine the drawings for next month and plans to develop specs to be let for bids in September.
Parking concerns continue
Superintendent Mike Jones said people continue to park on the connector street between the high school and administration building. People are no longer parking in the grass but they should use the school lot.
Board president Wayne Daugherty brought up several issues from groundskeeper Terry Scudder