School demolition could start Monday
The system hopes to have the Main Elementary built by the 2019-20 school year.
The demolition of Main Elementary to make way for the building of a new school could start as early as Monday, according to Rome City Schools Superintendent Lou Byars.
Building a new Main Elementary, estimated to cost about $10 million to $11 million, will be funded for the most part through an extension of the 1-cent education local option sales tax voters approved Nov. 7. The extension means collections of the tax will continue for another fiveyear period following the end of the current ELOST on March 31, 2019.
On Tuesday, wires hung from the hallway ceilings, insulation was piled up in the media center and ceiling tiles were stacked up. The final preparations were being made for Yes Grading Inc., out of Dawsonville, to demolish the school, excluding the gym and cafeteria, which are separated from the two central buildings.
The school system is waiting to get a demolition permit approved by the city, said Byars, but when they get it, hopefully by next week, demolition can begin. As part of getting the permit, all the utilities to the school had to be shut off.
The system is shooting to have the new school built and ready to open its door by the start of the 2019-2020 school year. Demolition work is expected to take around two months, pending weather and holiday delays, Byars said, and site grading and preparing the land for construction will follow.
J&R Construction & Development is the contractor at-risk for the project, so they carry all liability for it and are tasked with oversight. Subcontractor bids have already been put out and are due back Dec. 14, Byars said.
When last school year ended, the building was stripped for materials, such as hardware, that the sys- tem has to buy on a routine basis. The materials removed can be repurposed in other schools and will help lower maintenance costs, said Byars.
Teachers and staff at the school had packaged up all of their things and taken them to North Heights Elementary at the end of last school year. Main Elementary students are attending North Heights until the new school is built, at which time students and staff at the consolidated North Heights will move over to Main.
Byars expressed excitement for getting the ball rolling on the project and shared his thanks to voters for approving the ELOST extension.