The DeKalb County Board of Education is moving forward with plans to build a new Smithville Elementary School after voting to approve plans for a topographical survey on property next to Northside Elementary on North Congress Boulevard.
Last month, the Town of Alexandria voted to extend its sales tax agreement with the county, paving the way for the project to move forward. Smithville, Liberty and Dowelltown had already approved the extension, with Smithville’s extension conditional upon the county issuing bonds within 12 months.
Under the agreement, the towns will provide and extra third of sales tax proceeds to the county for the funding of school construction and operation. By law, the towns must contribute 50 percent of sales tax proceeds towards schools. The agreement will extend the current agreement with the county, set to expire in 2037, another 18 years. The agreement will now extend to 2055, allowing the county to secure up to $55 million in bonds for 30-year bond to fund the project.
During last Thursday’s School Board meeting, Director Cripps thanked the cities for voting to extend their sales tax agreements, and thanked the county commission for its commitment to build it.
Also during the meeting, the Board of Education approved an agreement for an architect to design a plan for classroom walls to be added at DeKalb Middle School. The project is expected to start this summer.
DeKalb Middle School was designed with open classroom spaces without walls, when it was built in the 1970s. In the years since, efforts have been made to get away from that concept, but no permanent walls have been added.
“This has been a long time coming. We have been working with the fire marshal and I’ll have to give Aaron Young and our maintenance department credit for the work they have done trying to get an agreement so we can enclose all of our classrooms,” said Director Cripps.
“We have several classrooms on the corners that are open and this would allow us to be able to close those classrooms off to reduce noise but also for safety. This (action) allows us to go forward with that building program so we can start getting bids and hopefully get this construction project underway this summer.”
In other business, Director Cripps said Wade Dunnaway at DeKalb West School and Brittany Weller at DCHS have been hired as teachers. The following have been granted a leave of absence as requested: Britney Gulley, Josh Gulley, Adrienne McCormick, Emily Wheeler, and Kason Wheeler.
The DCHS Prom was also approved to be held off campus at the Mill in Lebanon.
