The Newton County School Board voted to move forward with its plan to borrow $2.3 million to conduct upgrades various school properties for the development of its career/tech and pre-k classrooms and to upgrade security around the campuses.
At a regular board meeting Monday, the school board did not receive any petition to call for a vote on the bond issue. Because there was no petition filed, the school board unanimously approved a resolution to continue with the process of securing up to $2.3 million.
District Superintendent J.O. Amis said previously they are planning to move the district’s career-tech center into one portion of the Peavey building and then renovating the current career tech building in front of the elementary school to provide a place for the pre-k classrooms.
One of the first steps in the process is to repair the Peavey building’s roof and then construct classrooms for the Newton County Career and Technical Center in a portion of the building..
Then, the career tech center would be refitted to become the site for the district’s pre-k classrooms. Amis said the district would also install fencing around the elementary school site to make the campus safer.
As part of borrowing the money, the school district could raise ad valorem taxes in the school district up to three mills.
“The school board found that no funds are available for the purpose of making these repairs and additions to the school district facilities,” Amis said previously. “We feel like these improvements are in the best interests the students and the community, but we don’t have the funds to do this. So we are needing to borrow the money to make it happen.”
Amis said the district will not borrow more than $2.3 million and it could be less than that, and that the ad valorem tax required could be less than three mills depending on how much is borrowed and how tax valuations are for each year.
No timetable was mentioned at the meeting for when the money would be borrowed or when construction projects would begin.
In other business, the school board:
• Received three bids for different pieces of 16th section property, all of which were $8 per acre.
• Held an executive session to discuss a personnel matter.
• Accepted a transfer student according to the district’s transfer policy.
• Heard from Solar South LLC about installing solar panels on school property to help reduce electricity costs at the district’s facilities. No action was take as the company is reviewing the district’s current electricity needs.
• Approved the 2018-2019 district budget.
• Approved the district’s financial report, in which the district received 96 percent of its budgeted funding for the year and spent 98 percent of its projected expense line items.
• Approved a plan for Wheeler Drug Store to offer immunization shots to students.
• Approved the Talented and Gifted Calendar for the year.
• Accepted donations of more than $3,000, most of which were made to the tennis program.
• Approved personnel actions for the district.
