Construction On Goodman School To Start

Construction on the new Goodman Elementary School will begin in midAugust, a school official said Tuesday.

Goodman Elementary School principal Samantha Hamilton was on hand to give the Goodman City Council an update on Tuesday night at city hall. The council, however, did not have a quorum and a meeting was not held.

Hamilton said she wanted to visit with the council and had planned to bring council members up to date. The last time she visited the council was in March, when she told aldermen of the plans the school district had for the new school in town.

At that time, she also shared plans for the celebration of the groundbreaking, which was to take place on April 4, the anniversary of the devastating tornado that swept through town.

The EF-2 tornado destroyed the school last year, and school officials have vowed to rebuild in the same spot.

Hamilton said construction plans will be finalized on June 29, and bids will be opened in July.

Changes in the original plan include combining the cafeteria and the gym, which will be considered a “great room.” The room will not be deemed a “safe room,” since school officials learned this spring that the FEMA community grant was not approved for such. Officials originally planned for a “safe room” for the community. Though that will not happen now, Hamilton said officials can keep reapplying for the grant in the future.

Three kindergarten rooms to be built, however, will be ICC-rated and considered “safe rooms” in case of a tornado, Hamilton said.

The timeline for the construction remains the same, she said, as long as the weather cooperates.

Mayor Greg Richmond of Goodman announced at 7 p.m. that a quorum was not present and a meeting would not take place. The next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. July 3 at Goodman City Hall.