The county’s two new elementary schools could cost a combined $36.6 million to build after the Bryan County Board of Education approved guaranteed maximum prices for the projects at Thursday’s meeting at Bryan County Elementary School.
McAllister Elementary in South Bryan will cost the most — about $19.8 million — while the new Bryan County Elementary School is expected to cost more than $16.7 million.
Those figures include both site work and construction costs, according to Assistant Superintendent Dr. Trey Robertson.
McAllister, which will be located off Highway 144 near Henderson Park and the Bryan County Administrative Complex, is being built to accommodate 1,000 students.
The new BCES will sit on land off Payne Drive behind both Bryan County High and Bryan County Middle schools. It is being built for 600 students with room to expand.
School board members spent little time discussing the prices at Thursday’s meeting after approving about $15 million in start up costs at April’s meeting. That amount is included in the guaranteed maximum prices approved Thursday.
The BoE sold some $23.5 million in bonds in September to help raise more than $24.7 million to help fund the project.
Both schools are projected to be open by August 2015 in time for the 2015-16 school year. Additionally, the opening of McAllister Elementary means the BoE to have to come up with a plan for school districts, though it’s unclear when that will begin.
Enrollment in the district’s nine schools has grown from about 4,900 students in 2000 to around 8,000 this year, according to officials.
Also Thursday, BoE members recognized STAR students Amber Patterson from BCHS and Robbie Hester from Richmond Hill High School. BCHS STAR teacher, chosen by Patterson, was Venda Thomson, while Joey Trawick was chosen STAR teacher by Hester.
In addition, the BoE recognized 2014 Governor’s Honor Program nominees James Rymer, Andrew Bi, Jacob Mabrey, Prabhjot Minhas, Chloe Giorgianni, Maximillian Makhinson and Sirish Kumar Pradeep Bethapudi of RHHS and Allison Williams of BCHS.
The BoE also recognized retirees at the meeting, including Lanier Primary’s Susan Heape; BCES’ Kathy Salmons; BCHS and BCMS’ Sherryll Quinney; RHES’ Deborah Shuler and Patricia Harper Matthews; RHMS’ Elizabeth Kemper, Gail Bond, Nancy Nix and Patricia Spivey; RHHS’ Jane Dixon, Sgt. Major Charles Bradley and Pat Paruso; and Shari Gidden of the BoE’s Central Office.