Board of Education approves $10 million for new central office

The Burke County Board of Education took steps Monday, July 29, toward a new elementary school and a larger district headquarters.

Where to build a new elementary school in the eastern part of the county has been an open question since the district received a $42 million grant from the Department of Public Instruction in February. 

That conundrum has apparently been settled since the Burke County Board of Commissioners approved the district’s request to purchase 43 acres located on Huffman Avenue in Hildebran for $1 million. The commissioners also OK’d the $1.5 million purchase of 305 W. Union St. to relocate central office. 

“County commissioners did approve both land purchases (July 16) at their meeting – the central office purchase as well as the Hildebran purchase,” said Superintendent Dr. Mike Swan, during a special called meeting.

Much still has to happen before the school or headquarters can open. 

Public meetings for the Huffman Avenue property will take place at 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept.16, at Hildebran Elementary in the auditorium and Thursday, Sept.19, at Icard Elementary in the media center. Meetings will keep the public informed about the timeline and consolidation of the school’s process, including a presentation by Bob Acord, director of auxiliary services, and Hamilton Cort, the company who conducted the facility study and worked on the design for Mountain View Elementary School when it was built.

First day of classes at a new school is at least two years away. Central office personnel might move into their new space by fall 2025.

The property, current home of the Burke United Christian Ministries (BUCM), would more than double the central office from its current 13,000 square feet to 32,000. The Board of Education is currently housed on East Parker Road in a building that it shares with the Department of Social Services, which is rapidly expanding and needs extra space, according to Swan.

The board closed on the property on July 31. BUCM is set to move to a new location before the end of the year.

“We’ll have everyone under one roof, except our technology department, and maintenance department over on Kirksey,” Swan said.

The new central office property is estimated to need $7.6 million in construction and $1.9 million in furniture, testing, legal costs, and permits bringing the total to $9.5 million. 

The cost breakdown for the property includes: 

• $442,000 designated tor parking lots, fencing, road signage, traffic islands, and landscaping

• $3,141,000 for architectural renovations such as walls, doors, flooring, roofing, and gutters

• $3,551,000 for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing- HVAC upgrades, hot water heaters, water fountains, sprinklers, fire protection, lighting, security system, incoming service upgrades, switches, and wiring

• $190,000 designated for building codes – ADA accessibility and door hardware

• $304,000 for educational upgrades such as audio/visual needs, shelving, etc.

• $1,907,000 for furniture, construction contingencies, and permits

“We toured the building on June 14 and on July 9 again; we met with an architect to discuss the room arrangement so we could do a cost estimation of what this project would cost,” Acord said. 

Chairman Seth Hunt moved to fund the central office budget up to $10 million from capital improvement funds. The board unanimously approved the motion. The project is set to take at least one year to complete. 

OTHER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS

An estimated $542,000 in capital improvement funds was also approved to replace the Freedom High School driver’s education track range. Engineers found areas on the inside lanes that could not be repaired using compound sealing because the asphalt is too thin. The entire range is set to be replaced.

To begin the process, the project will be advertised for potential bidders. The engineering firm the board selects will provide bidding and construction documents, pre-bid meetings, observing site work, submittals, and responding to requests for information.

“I think it was a smart move to bring in an engineering firm, Dr. Acord, because not everybody knows what goes on or is involved in that and we don’t have engineers on staff,” board member Jane Sohovich said. “Having people that know what needs to be done and coordinate it, but also, having a cost estimate up front before even starting the bidding process I think is important. Going into it was a smart move.”

The board voted unanimously to move forward with the project. The project is estimated to take approximately two weeks to complete.