Students, educators plead for facilities at Polk BOE meeting
Students and educators came out to the Polk County Board of Education to present to the board good reasons why their projects merit a new Education-only Special Purpose, Local Option Sales Tax to be approved on the March ballot.
Voters are being asked to consider an extension of the E-SPLOST for the Polk School District’s building program, with specific projects sought out by groups like the Future Farmers of America and Cedartown’s fine arts department.
Future Farmers of America president Madison Borders of Cedartown High School and president Mackenzie Barber of Rockmart High School’s program were joined by the Rockmart agriculture teacher Jeff Hawkins, Polk Farm Bureau president James Casey, and Polk County Extension Coordinator Ricky Ensley in a presentation promoting the need for a new agriculture sciences building at Rockmart High School.
One of the bigger projects on the SPLOST proposal, the agriculture sciences building will give students the chance to work in a variety of farm-related areas still prevalent in life in Polk County.
Hawkins said they are already looking at rough drawings with architects, and that the facility will allow students to do much more than they can now in classroom areas and in the
greenhouse on the Rockmart campus.
Borders pointed out the 321 students in the program will get tremendous benefit from the new facility, while Barber added that their organization is all about providing opportunites for personal growth through agriculture, and the chance to expend what the groups can do and students can learn “embodies that ideal.”
Ensley added that a new facility would also help local farmers by giving them a place to meet and learn about new techniques alongside local students.
The FFA was then followed by Cedartown High School drama instructor Chris Reeves, who added his own plea to the board and local voters to approve the SPLOST and give his department a dream himself and current and former students have held onto for a long time.
“I’ve been here for 20 years, and this has always been one of my dreams to have a place to rehearse,” he said.
Reeves’ dream for a theater-style classroom with full stage wasn’t as big as that in the beginning, but he and others are hoping this and other upgrades to the fine arts department will make up another major portion of the coming SPLOST if approved.
The 350 seat theater would also act as a meeting space for student assemblies, and feature a full lighting rig in the rafters and curtain sys- tem.
Building changes at Cedartown High School in this next phase planned for 2017 and beyond if the money is made available includes a new fine arts classroom space, expanded band facilities, the cafeteria enlarged and a new library. Administrative offices being expanded and a new building facade are also in the plans.
Superintendent William Hunter in his final meeting said the central office is already working with architects on designs to have in place if the SPLOST is approved so work can begin as soon as possible.
He said that one of the first projects will likely be the agriculture building to start in August should voters give the go ahead to extend the onecent sales tax for education purposes.
Other projects include district wide projects at a variety of schools, mainly focusing on building renovations and expansions, heating and air conditioning repairs and replacements, and work on athletic facilities at the middle and high schools.
The school board, with Jane Hamlett and Grady McCrickard out, did give their OK for spending of $137,321 to purchase video and intercom equipment for the new College and Career Academy building at Cedartown High School.