News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
School officials and county commissioners will begin funding discussions early this year for Putnam County’s newest school.
Superintendent Jerry Boyd said those conversations will center around plans for constructing a K-8 facility.
“We’re going to give them (county commission) the best estimate of cost, based on square footage and the current cost to construct,” Boyd said. “Of course, if the funding isn’t there, we’ll have to make reductions. We certainly believe a K-8 facility is the right size and direction. Worst-case scenario, we’d have to back down to just a pre-K 4 facility and reduce the square footage significantly.”
The county will build the school on 45-acres of property on Lee Seminary Road. Boyd said he hopes to have the facility occupied in three years.
“It will be, conservatively, a 24-month construction cycle,” Boyd said. “So if we can make some progress and decisions this spring as a county, we will begin immediately with the bid phase. As soon as that’s behind us, we will begin immediately with the construction phase.”
Crossville-based Upland Design Group continues design putting together design concepts for the new school. The company has presented preliminary designs for a two-wing, two-story building with adjacent athletic fields.
“Hopefully by early January we will have some really solid drawing that we will share with the county commission when we have a joint meeting,” Boyd said.
Upland will provide an update on designs when the board of education meets on Thursday. The school board will meet with county commissioners on January 13.
