June 29, 2009

EXCLUSIVE

Finishing touches go on at new Centre Middle School

By Scott Wright

CENTRE — A run of dry weather hasn't been very good for cotton, corn and soybean crops in Cherokee County, but the lack of recent rain means construction at the new Centre Middle School is proceeding at a quick pace.

“I know it's bad for the farmers, but every morning when I top the hill and see a cloud of dust, I say to myself, 'All right!',” Superintendent of Schools Brian Johnson told The Post last week during a tour of the new campus. “I know that means the construction crews are on the job and getting a day closer to completion.”

During the 30-minute tour, Johnson spoke with several construction workers, some of whom were former students of his.

“It's nice that some of the jobs here have been filled by local people,” he said. “With the economy like it is, a project like this can be a positive thing for the entire community.”
As he walked along hallways and poked his head into classrooms, Johnson pointed out several areas of progress since his previous inspection a couple of weeks earlier.
“Looks like they've got all the interior lights in place and operating,” he said. “And a lot of the students' lockers are in place along the walls in the hallway.”
Interior walls are already painted and ceiling tiles are in place along most of the hallways and classrooms in the 85,000-square-foot complex. Accommodations include classrooms for grades 5 through 8, administrative offices, a lunchroom, library, computer and science labs, and air conditioned gymnasium.

And, Johnson added, plenty of room for future expansion on the 66-acre site two miles east of downtown on Highway 411.

“We designed the lunchroom to hold a larger number of students than we currently have enrolled,” he said. “And the corridors for the different grades can be expanded as needed.”

The main building features a large, columned commons area with atrium ceiling where students can relax and gather each morning before class. Johnson said teachers will also use the area when students take their traditional morning break.

“We'll hide the vending machines behind this,” Johnson said, pointing to a 20-foot wall facing away from the main entrance. “And we'll have soft and hard furniture in this area for the students to use.”

Construction project foreman Frank Thomas said he's hopeful the dry weather will help keep the project on schedule.
“I have a final inspection planned for Aug. 3 and classes begin Aug. 10,” he said. “We're expecting to finish up in time for the school year.”

Thomas said he expects crews to finish bricklaying sometime this week, weather permitting. A two-man crew from Cherokee County has already begun laying tile in the hallways.
“Some of the tiles will be black and gold,” Johnson added. “We want the students to be proud of their school colors so we're going to use them throughout the facility.”
Johnson said special consideration was given to the design of the area beside the gym where school buses will load and unload each day.

“This area is covered, to protect from the weather, and we'll have benches along this wall for kids to use while they wait for their bus in the afternoons,” he said.

Johnson said he is excited that it appears the new campus will be ready for students to begin the 2009-10 term. He is also proud that the $15 million project is apparently going to come in slightly under budget.

“We've got all the money we need for desks, supplies and so on,” he said. “And we are thankful to the people of Cherokee County for granting the ad valorem extension that helped make this possible.”

Johnson and the Board of Education began over $18 million in construction and capital improvements after getting the approval of over 86 percent of the local electorate. The vote in 2007 allowed the county government to extend existing property taxes for an additional 30 years and borrow against future guaranteed income.
“That was what allowed this whole thing to happen,” Johnson told The Post last summer. “We found a safe way to pay for all these improvements without any sort of tax increase on the people of Cherokee County. We just extended what was already there.”

Johnson and the Board of Education are also funding capital improvements at all the other campuses in the county, he said.