Building, maintenance projects continue across School District One

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By David Meade

Anderson School District One building program continues to move along with projects and upgrades throughout the district. Superintendent David Havird updated the board members on the building and summer maintenance projects during their regular meeting Tuesday.

Havird said the following projects are underway or beginning soon: Construction on an eight room addition to Concrete Primary will begin in August and has a completion date of Feb. 2017. Estimated cost of the project is $2.2 million.

Concrete Primary is also in the process of having their playground relocated prior to work on the new addition.

Palmetto High and Wren High School Auditoriums are both seeing upgrades including floors being painted, new seats being installed and LED lighting added. That work will be underway in July and will be completed by the time school starts.

Powdersville Elementary, Palmetto Middle and the District Office are all getting roof repairs.

Floor repairs are underway at Spearman Elementary, Powdersville Middle, West Pelzer Elementary and Concrete Elementary. The floor repair work includes two rooms at West Pelzer Elem. and two rooms at Concrete Elem. West Pelzer is also getting new floors in the Media Center.

District wide work includes painting and asphalt repair.

Palmetto High is also getting a sewer lift station.

Upcoming projects include new Tennis Courts being added at Powdersville High and at Wren High with construction, which is expected to take about one month, to begin in January 2017. Cost is $400,000.

Construction on the Wren Locker/Weight Room facility is scheduled to begin February, 2017 with completion by August. Cost is $2.4 million.

Construction on a new Palmetto High Multipurpose Athletic Facility is scheduled to begin June 2017 with completion by Nov. 2017. Cost is $1.2 million.

Most of the projects are being funded by the local Option Sales Tax.

Financial Director Travis Thomas said the penny sales tax has brought in more than expected.

Thomas reported District One currently has a fund balance of just over $3.6 million. There are purchase orders in the works for $1.14 million, he said.

The local option sales tax has helped contribute to that balance with revenues coming in higher than budgeted, he said.

March revenues from the penny sales tax were about the same as December and amounted to $2.1 million for the County, according to Thomas.

The District One portion (thirty percent) amounted to $652,000. Twenty percent of that amount, or $180,000 will go toward property tax relief while an additional $521,000 will go toward projects.

Superintendent Havird said production technologies upgrades in the district are about half completed. That includes STEM science projects.

“March was as good as December,” the superintendent said, “It is significant amounting to $100,000 more.”

In other action, the Board unanimously approved a review of 21 revised policies recommendation made by the superintendent.

Following an executive session, the board approved the following personnel:

Bethany Crosby, Grade Three, Powdersville Elementary; Anna Padgett, Guidance Counselor, Powderswville Middle and Lauren Thompson, Grade One, Concrete Primary.

Resignations – Jena Putnam, Grade Four, Powdersville Elementary.

Transfers: Leslie Porter, Grade One, Concrete Primary to Literacy Coach at Concrete Primary.

Donna Yarborough, Four Year Old Kindergarten, Palmetto Elementary to Four Year Old Kindergarten at Concrete Primary.

Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Jane Harrison gave a report on a learning application called Waggle that is being tested at Palmetto Middle and Wren Middle. The program uses technology integrating ELA and Math, she said.

Some students are using the program on Ipads that are being taken home over the summer.

A video of teachers and students touting the learning tool was shown to the board. The video features District One teachers and students commenting on how it has helped students and improved scores.

The video is also being shown on the Waggle website.

She also reported that summer learning and tutoring programs including Read to Succeed and Goal Post are underway during the summer.

Assistant Superintendent of Adminstration Robbie Bionnick reported that the student nutrition program showed a profit of $114,000 for May compared to $79,000 last year. Year to Date profit amounts to $310,000 compared to $173,000 last year. He also reported the Summer Meal Program is serving an average of 1000 kids per day and recently served 1100 on one day.

Superintendent Havird said the program is very organized and has made adjustments from areas that had less participation to those that have more. “They are serving a lot of people. They are also recruiting students who are taking advantage of it.”

Havird said a number of athletes in the District are using the service while they are practicing over the summer.