News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Warren County School System will use a large portion of federal funding for upgrades at two schools.
Director of Schools Grant Swallows said the estimate is 6 million dollars of ESSER 2.0 funding to address Warren County Middle School and Eastside Elementary School. Swallows said Eastside will get 4 new classrooms and an administrative complex.
The middle school will get a new roof, bathrooms, windows and its own administrative complex.
“These two were just next on the list and they’re getting pushed up a little sooner than we anticipated,” Swallows said. “Which we’re happy about, because of this relief funding.”
Swallows said the administrative complexes will house new nursing clinics for both schools. He said the new elementary school classrooms will bring kids back into the building that are having to use portables.
Swallows said work on the Warren County Middle School roof and windows will begin during the summer. He said the construction for Eastside Elementary will begin at the start of the school year.
“An administrative complex that would house a nurses clinic,” Swallows said. “Right now we have a very small room at Eastside. It’s an older building and it just needs to be updated and a part of the relief funding is deferred maintenance.”
Swallows said it is the same situation with the middle school since that building was built in the 1950’s. He said that project will have a phased approach, with the roofing bid already being awarded.
“The roof will go first, followed by the windows,” Swallows said. “The bathroom remodel will begin hopefully, in August or September. Then the new construction will probably take place after the first of the year.”
These ESSER 2.0 projects will need to be complete by September 30, 2023. Swallows said he does have some worries about getting construction materials for the projects but hopes to have it all wrapped up within a year.
