HENRY COUNTY – Henry County Public Schools needs money for renovations at Bassett High School. The Board of Supervisors is expected to make a decision about the money this week.
Henry County Schools is asking for $615,000 it saved during the last fiscal year. The school system already spent some of the money on contractors and architects to draw up the plans.
The school system doesn't have a budget for capital improvement projects so it relies on what they save as a division every year but it is up to the Board of Supervisors to approve the money. Over the past few years, they renovate portions of BHS over the summer. This year, construction was expected to start one hour after school let out for summer on Phase 4 of construction.
Henry County Schools is asking for the money saved last fiscal year, $615,000 for renovations to classrooms, the HVAC system and restrooms. The school is 40 years old and has been upgraded in phases.
"If we're not able to get the carry forward money from the Board of Supervisors this year then basically phase 4 will not happen at Bassett High School this year. That means the whole project continues to be pushed out. The longer it's pushed out the more construction costs we see as going up and so that's going to make a big difference," said Keith Scott, Henry County Schools Director of Facilities Maintenance.
Right now, there are some classroom temperatures that reach 80 degrees.
"I think that the importance of continuing to keep our building is going. Obviously we're educating the future here. Our students, our staff we're taking care of them so we want to make sure that they have the best learning environment and in order to do that we've got to continue to do maintenance, we have to continue to do replacements when it's time and not wait until it's way past due," said Scott.
The school system says the board wants to use the money to pay for part of the new Meadowview Elementary School. School spokesperson Monica Hatchett says they took out $20 million to pay for the construction but the estimated total cost is $21-$22 million.
The Board of Supervisors is expected to make a decision Tuesday.