The proposed renovation of Tharptown School cafeteria into elementary classrooms is on hold pending the resolution of an appeal with the State of Alabama Building Commission over the project.
At issue is whether the renovation, which calls for the cafeteria to be converted into four classrooms, requires installation of a safe room pursuant to Alabama Building Commission regulations. If a safe room is required, the project costs will increase significantly, said Franklin County Superintendent of Education Greg Hamilton.
“If a safe room is required by the State of Alabama, which is in direct conflict with what their own code says, the cost could be up to four or five times what we had set aside for the project,” Hamilton said.
The renovation was bid out along with the construction of a new cafeteria at Tharptown which would serve both Tharptown Elementary and Tharptown High School. TES has the county's largest elementary enrollment at 523 and the high school has another 332 students according to October 2016 enrollment numbers. Tharptown's enrollment increased by more than 110 students this year due in large part to the $600 annual tuition imposed by Russellville City Schools on out-of-city students.
The system budgeted approximately $2.5 million for the project, to be paid for by the leveraging of $175,000 of capital monies received from the State of Alabama. That $175,000 translates to approximately $2.6 million in funding available for the project. For each $1,000 leveraged, a school system receives $15,000 for that $1000. Monies will be paid back when the State of Alabama, rather than sending those capital funds to Franklin County Schools, will pay back the company leveraging the money for a 20-year term.
Board members approved the leverage for the Tharptown cafeteria in August. Board members voted 4-0 to approve the measure. The project had to be re-bid in order for Franklin County Schools to move forward with the new cafeteria construction. Those bids will be opened April 20th.
“We're going forward with the construction of the new one and when we receive a ruling on the appeal from the State Building Commission we'll decide what to do on the existing cafeteria renovation,” Hamilton said.
The new cafeteria will seat at least 300 students, an increase from the current 235-seat facility. Assistant Superintendent Donald Borden said construction of the new facility could be completed in time for the spring 2018 semester.
“It would be great to see the project done by the end of the calendar year and we hope to have it available for the second semester next school year,” Borden said.
Tharptown has five portable units on campus this year. The cafeteria staff begins serving lunch at 9:55 a.m., and the last group of students are fed at 1 p.m., officials said. The dish room is being used as a storage room so students and faculty are using disposable plates and silverware for meals.
State building regulations, Hamilton explained, require construction of a safety shelter, or safe room, with new projects like Phil Campbell School. On a renovation, though, Hamilton maintains the requirement should not be imposed and school officials are waiting for a ruling on their appeal to the commission.
The new cafeteria will be located between the elementary school and the high school gymnasium area, officials said.
“It's a better location for the high school students not to have to walk so far and it will still be very close to the elementary school,” Borden said.
Borden said the cafeteria renovation will move forward regardless, but he's hopeful the building commission will favorably review the system's appeal.
“We'd love to have a safety shelter for our students but it's not feasible with the budget,” Borden said. “Basically, we'd have to tear down the building to make it a safety shelter and that would be at a tremendous cost.”
“Nobody wants those classrooms more than we do. We need them,” Hamilton said.
In an update on another project at Vina High School, the baseball facility repairs have been completed. After a tornado caused extensive damage earlier this year to the baseball field, the science lab/band hall and the old gymnasium, the repairs were scheduled in increments.
The field has new fencing, new dugouts and a damaged light pole has been repaired.
School officials are awaiting a report from the Alabama Department of Risk Management as to whether the Vina science lab/band hall is beyond repair. Hamilton maintains the structure has visible, growing stress fractures and is structurally compromised. Risk Management officials have stated otherwise, but the parties met more than a month ago to inspect the building.
“There's no question the building has been compromised. It's absolutely beyond repair. I'm not going to allow a student in there,” Hamilton said.
In addition to those repairs, Vina is scheduled to see repairs to the old gym and miscellaneous repairs including track equipment and awnings.
