News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Clay County School Board explored options for a possible expansion of the district’s high school.
Board members heard from two Cookeville construction firms during a Tuesday planning session. School Board Chair Benji Bailey said the presentations were the first step to see if an expansion would be financially feasible.
“We’ve got the baseline now,” Bailey said. “I guess it is up to us what we do it with it. Probably the baseline for both firms are very similar, at least from a cost per square footage.”
W & O Construction estimated a 10 classroom expansion with a multipurpose room would cost between four to five million dollars. J & S Construction did not have an approximate cost but estimated the project to cost at least $250 per square foot.
“We are not in the building business, and we need professionals for that,” Bailey said. “That is why we approached these two firms in order to see what we could do to improve our facilities.”
Bailey said a growing student population has resulted in the need for classroom space. Bailey said the school board has about a $3.5 million budget for the project.
“We are still unsure at this point,” Bailey said. “There are a lot of unknowns just because of the cost of building associated with the current environment that we are in, but I think with the money that we are receiving, it is still an option.”
Bailey said federal funding from the school’s allocation of ESSER would likely help offset the price tag if the board decides to move forward in the future.
