Grady County school construction projects nearing completion

Published 1:42 pm Wednesday, June 14, 2017

CAIRO — Construction is moving along for two Grady County schools. 

On Tuesday, the Grady County Board of Education heard updates on the Southside Elementary and Cairo High School College and Career Academy projects. 

Superintendent Dr. Kermit Gillard updated the board on a sinkhole that formed at Southside. The sinkhole formed due to last week’s heavy rainfall, the superintendent said. 

A sewer line also was damaged. 

Architect Raymond Finger said he was confident the project would finish on deadline. 

“We’re on the home stretch as far as getting the building done,” he said. 

Change orders approved for Southside were for additional paving in the area south of the lunchroom and resurfacing the south end of Hawk Lane. 

Both expenditures total to $51,239. 

Board member Jeff Worsham questioned how the change orders would be funded. 

Chief Financial Officer Dan Broome said the money would come from the same allocated special purpose local options sales tax (SPLOST) funds for the project and noted the 3 percent contingency set up in the school district’s budget. 

A $10,360 expenditure also was approved for the Southside project. The expenditure is for polished concrete flooring for the school’s fourth-and-fifth grade building. 

Gillard noted the price is similar to what the cost for carpeting would be. 

A $6,800 expenditure also was approved for the College and Career Academy for a driveway tie-in for 6th Avenue, off the student parking lot. 

In other business, the board: 

• approved a walk-in freezer shelving bid for $10,232.85 

• approved accounts payable totaling to $1,759,316.27 

• approved personnel recommendations 

• approved monthly field trips and fundraisers 

• tabled action toward a policy change on graduation requirements 

• conducted a closed session to discuss personnel with no action taken after the board convened. 

Reporter Jordan Barela can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1826.