Pack the bags. Clean out the desks. Bring on the dumpsters. Because it’s almost time for the inhabitants of the Trigg County Vocational School to leave behind the old, and start ushering in the new.
During Thursday’s Trigg County School Board meeting, Director of Operations Matt Ladd and Sherman Carter Barnhart Architect Andrew Owens advised board members of the fluid timeline that comes with the state’s grant money — which is officially earmarked for this massive overhaul.
What was once a hopeful process of beginning the project’s bidding in April now looks more like June. And should competitive negotiations become necessary, that could delay the timeline even further.
As such, Ladd and Owens noted it’s better to begin the removal and relocation process of the vocational classrooms now at the end of this school year, as opposed to either the middle of the summer — or worse, the start of 2022-23.
Owens warned that instruction time would be lost, should the move happen any later than May.
Ladd and Owens have consistently noted during this process that the start-to-finish, best-case-scenario timeline for this project is 14 months — with hopes of beginning the 2023-24 school year with students and teachers back into what would essentially be a brand-new facility.
But the bidding process is the launching point.
Instructional Supervisor Faye Stevens said the teachers are “more than ready” for the move to begin.
Owens said that if this project was being handled with bonded funds, the school board could opt for more time in one direction or another — or even cancel the project if it didn’t end up fitting the needs.
Since this is a grant with an eventual expiration, and it does fill a dire need, Owens said the timeline has to stay pretty much as is, and with little flexibility.
In other Trigg County campus construction news:
— Board members unanimously approved a change order for the turf carpet for the incoming multipurpose facility, going from a weight of 33 pounds per square yard to 42 pounds per square yard. Ladd and Owens noted the increased gauge would bring better durability and a better lifespan, at a mere cost of just under $6,000.
— Board members unanimously approved a $15,000 credit to change the thickness of the roof panels of the multipurpose facility, almost immediately paying for the improved turf carpet.
— A contract from Hinderliter Environmental, out of Evansville, was unanimously accepted for the eventual remodel of the district’s bus garage. Owens noted the required gravel, canopy, and full-fencing of the property would come under $400,000, in what seemed more palpable than the $700,000 range of opening estimates.
— A familiar Trigg County family will handle the middle school roof replacement. Woodall Roofing & Construction, of Murray, was unanimously awarded the bid. Tommy Woodall, former Wildcats quarterback and the company’s regional sales manager, has been the organization’s representative at the last two board meetings.
