Schools
School Board Approves Contract To Build New Administration Building
Construction on the 90,300-square-foot facility is expected to start in January and wrap up by August 2017.
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The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday took action on a plan to reunify district staff and improve efficiency in central office operations.
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Board members at their Dec. 3 meeting unanimously approved a contract to construct a new administration building.
The new facility has been needed, as well as approved by voters through Education Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) referenda, for 15 years.
Find out what's happening in Canton-Sixesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
However, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo had repeatedly recommended delaying action on the plan in order to construct 19 new schools.
“We can no longer productively and efficiently manage and supervise the school district with central office staff spread out throughout the county in facilities that were not designed to meet current operational needs,” Dr. Petruzielo said. “This new facility will allow for more efficient operations and better serve students, employees and the general public.
Board members awarded the $16 million contract to Cartersville-based Womack, Lewis and Smith Construction. The 90,300-square-foot Cherokee County School District Educational Services Facility project will be funded by Education Special Purpose Location Option Sales Tax, or SPLOST, revenue.
The complex, which includes an office building and a professional development training center/school board auditorium, will be built on more than 15 acres on Bluffs Parkway north of RiverStone Plaza.
The district received the property in an exchange with the city of Canton for the district’s Buildings A and B, which are located in downtown along West Main and Academy streets, respectively.
Construction will begin in January and should wrap up by August 2017.
The new facility will reunite 150 employees from various departments in one centrally located, cost-effective office building; and the training center/auditorium, with a capacity for 690, will allow for professional development, special events and school board meetings in a space that is significantly larger than current options.
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Image via Cherokee County School District
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