County schools OKs $1.9M in HVAC changes at Red Bud Elementary
Gordon County Schools Board of Education approved a slate of recommendations Monday, including $1.9 million in modifications to HVAC at Red Bud Elementary.
Those modifications would update and replace existing systems that are old and in need of repair. That work would be done by R.K. Redding Construction. The costs of that project would come from SPLOST as well as the land and building fund — and is eligible for $646,471 of that cost to be reimbursed to the school board.
Also approved were some additions to the ongoing Gordon Central High School renovation. The board looked at replacing serving lines in the high school's cafeteria, as the old ones are in failing condition and can no longer be serviced with replacement parts. That project will cost $135,921 and be funded through SPLOST.
Also up for approval was the purchase of a Ford F-150 XL Super Cab for the maintenance department, to replace an old one which was totaled in a car crash. The lowest bid on that was through Prater Ford, which set a price of $42,263 and guarantees delivery within five days. That was approved.
They also looked at replacement of a diesel school bus engine in one of the district's fleet. That would be completed by technicians from Rush Truck Centers, and would include a one-year, unlimited mile warranty, for a grand total of $31,226.43. That was approved by the board.
In terms of facilities items, the board looked at one final item: a twoyear renewal of the board's agreement with Arrow Exterminators. That would guarantee that the plan would remain at its current cost, $1,155.50 per month for buildings and grounds and $732.50 for nutrition facilities, until September 30, 2026. That was approved by the board.
A final voting item was the choosing of a delegate and alternate for
the annual Georgia School Board Association conference. Bobby Hall will attend as delegate for the board, with Dana Stewart as the alternate.
At the meeting, the board also recognized several members of the school system for their excellence.
First up were the system's Valedictorians and Salutatorians. Max Stone was recognized as the Valedictorian at Gordon Central while Paul Duhaime was the Valedictorian at Sonoraville. Maya Lagunas was the Salutatorian at Gordon Central with Eli Stewart as Sonoraville's Salutatorian.
Also recognized were the STAR Students at both high schools. STAR Students have the highest test score on a single date on the SAT and are either in the top 10 percent of their class or are a top 10 student overall based on GPA. Students choose a STAR Teacher who they wish to be honored alongside them.
DJ Young was the STAR
Student at Gordon Central, and chose Alan Hughes as his STAR Teacher. Paul Duhaime was not only Sonoraville's Valedictorian, he was also its STAR Student, and chose Samantha Watson as his STAR Teacher.
The board also congratulated Gordon County's LifeSmart teams for their wins — Gordon County students Jet Johnston, Preslie Parish, Julio Rodriguez-Garcia, and Emma Osmanovic of Red Bud Middle School and William Parish, Blake Carey, Kaleb King, and Jonathan Sifuentes of Sonoraville High School were all recognized by the board for their performance.
Finally, Gordon Central's SkillsUSA winners were honored. Hayden Hyde and Wesley Garcia won first in the state for Dry Wall, and Jeff Fraire placed first in Masonry. Those three will go on to represent the district in the national competition this summer.
Upcoming events include early release days on March 13 and 14, an at-home learning day on March 15, and Spring Break, which will run April 8 through 12. The next school board meeting will be Monday, April 1 at 6 p.m. at Central Office, 7400 Fairmount Highway. For more information on Gordon County Schools visit gcbe.org.