Trigg County Public Schools officials remain in pursuit of three important construction projects for the district.
No action was necessary, but during Thursday night’s board meeting in Cadiz, Director of Operations Matt Ladd and Sherman Carter Barnhart Architect Chris Jones updated members on progress of coming changes to Wildcat Gymnasium, the front of Trigg County Middle School, and signage for the new Career and Technical Center on Lafayette Street.
Ladd noted that a base bid for an elevator, new bleachers and safety rails for the gymnasium will be sought first, and if that comes back either in, or below, budget, it could allow for a list of long-desired cosmetic changes. He also said the bid process should begin late April, with options brought back to the board by May so that construction can begin this summer.
Jones, meanwhile, said there are more than a half-dozen gymnasium changes in play, but the message is to guarantee safety and access first and cosmetics second. Furthermore, he said the gym’s front doors need to change, in order to make it easier for heavy athletic and construction equipment be brought inside.
Jones also confirmed the gym’s coming elevator will be less like a lift and more like an enclosed space, and that needed electrical upgrades have mostly been accounted for in these pre-planning stages.
As for the middle school and its anticipated awning, Jones said they have discovered the front of the building has “more utilities buried in that space than you could possibly imagine,” meaning more creativity will be required for this remodel.
And finally, the last puzzle piece for the CTC’s completion is signage. Jones said it will be similar to the intermediate gym’s look, and consistent with all of the other new and upgraded signage on campus.
In other school news:
+ Superintendent Rex Booth and Chief Financial Officer Holly Greene discussed the district’s shortfall in current SEEK funding, which is getting actually getting a $44,000 lift following a Thursday announcement from the office of Governor Andy Beshear.
During his Thursday “Team Kentucky” update, Beshear noted there had been concerns from the Kentucky Department of Education, in which school districts had voiced a need to adjust budgets to manage what has become a mired SEEK formula.
After reportedly working with State Budget Director and Executive Cabinet Secretary John Hicks and Education Commissioner Robbie Fletcher, Beshear said he was able to legally authorize an increase of the fiscal year 2024-2025 SEEK General Fund appropriation to address the issue.
A reminder: SEEK funding is a formula-based model that helps determine how much funding each public school receives based on each district’s student makeup, and the shortfall occurred due to a spike in student enrollment statewide, as well as more students with special needs.
+ Greene confirmed that all five electric busses have arrived for the district, and that her office is currently working with auditors in order to see if qualifications can be met for tax credits — one for the infrastructure, one for the busses themselves.
+ And the district heard considerable reports from CTE, middle school and special education leadership.
