Photo provided by Thomas County School SystemThe heating and air-conditioning units located at the front of the building since the 1980s are being relocated to enhance the view of the structure. 

THOMASVILLE — The new agriculture building at Bishop Hall is not really new.

In 1958, when Central High School occupied the current campus of the Thomas County Board of Education, the building consisted of two classrooms and a large agriculture shop. When the high school moved to its current location in 1990, the shop was subdivided into classrooms for use by Central Middle School. When Thomas County Middle School was built, the building became home to the Thomas County School System’s maintenance department.

Most recently, the Thomas County Board of Education awarded CCH Construction of Thomasville a contract for $995,000 to renovate, modernize and return to its original use.

The maintenance department now housed in the building will relocate to other buildings on the board of education campus.

The newly renovated building will include two classrooms, a science lab, a spacious shop, including welding booths, a covered outdoor work area, faculty offices and student restrooms.

The structure will receive a new roof, new heating and air-conditioning, new windows and doors and all new interior finishes.

In many ways, the building will return to its original use as an agricultural education facility, but it will be totally modernized, Superintendent Dr. Dusty Kornegay said.

As part of the renovation project, Bishop Hall’s agriculture program also will receive a new greenhouse to be located adjacent to the renovated agriculture facility.

“Agriculture’s one of the major industries in Thomas County and provides many of the jobs in Thomas County,” Kornegay said.

CTAE (Career Technology and Agriculture Education) covers a wide area, including agriculture mechanics, where students will learn about small engines, electrical wiring and welding, Kornegay said.

“It’s really a broad field,” the superintendent said.

Founded on the Vashti campus in 1999, Bishop Hall Charter School is a unit of the Thomas County School System. The school occupied a new building on the campus of the Thomas County Board of Education in 2014. The former Central High School gym was fully renovated for use by Bishop Hall as a health and physical education facility.

“Bishop Hall’s current agriculture program will be able to expand its offerings with the addition of a renovated facility specifically designed to meet the needs of a diversified agricultural program,” said Beth Adams, Thomas County Central High School assistant principal and school system CTAE director.

The renovation also brings a $67,500 CTAE Construction-Related Equipment Grant awarded by the Georgia Department of Education. The grant will be used to purchase equipment for student use, including a greenhouse to be situated between the old Central gym and the agriculture classroom. Equipment purchased will be used to expand program offerings into areas such as agriculture mechanics and floriculture.

“The newly renovated CTAE building will bring Bishop Hall students many opportunities for hands-on learning,” said Bishop Hall Principal Chloe Jackson. “Students will be able to embody the FFA motto by ‘Learning to Do’ and ‘Doing to Learn’ with the new facilities.”

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820