TISD OKs projects

Trustees approved a base project package and four alternatives to be submitted for bids at a special meeting of the Troup school board Wednesday, Feb. 20.

The primary package involves renovations to the vocational shop building including the addition of a welding booth, interior upgrades and the addition of a retaining wall with drainage.

The four alternatives are: 1) new parking lot south of the high school including parking at the vocational shop building; 2) restroom renovations at the elementary school; 3) coaches' office at the high school; 4) widening the entry driveway to the main high school parking lot.

The architectural firm of Eubanks, Harris, Roberts and Craig designed preliminary plans for the vocational shop and high school coaches renovations, with an estimated cost of $167,000 for the shop facilities and $48,000 for the coaches' offices, plus approximately $35,000 in miscellaneous fees and charges.

Trustees had considered the shop and high school coaches' office renovations at an earlier special meeting. The approved version of the shop renovations was scaled down from the earlier presentation which included an 80'x25' addition at a cost of $220,000.

Trustees also chose not to consider a smaller addition of 14'x25' at this time. Unlike the approved renovations, the addition would necessitate a change in floor plan; that, coupled with a total project cost of more than $50,000, would require the project be submitted to the state which would result in additional costs to bring the facilities and parking up to Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.

Architect Mike Craig advised trustees that they could revisit the addition at a later time when its price as a stand-alone project would not require the state review and ADA compliance.

The approved renovations do include items requested by vocational instructor Randy Tidwell that would allow the shop to be state certified. The original basis for the shop renovations were structural issues caused by water damage. While these repairs were being considered, Tidwell requested some additional steps allow the state certification and improve storage and other considerations.

The area to be renovated to add a coaches' office and meeting room to the high school is in the high school gym where the girls weight room used to be. At present, it is vacant and not being used, according to Dewayne Brown, director of support services at TISD.

Under the proposed plan, the room will be renovated as shared office space and a meeting room for both male and female coaches. The plan calls for built-in millwork (desks) and computer stations around three walls, an overhead projector system and two changing rooms.

Alternate two, restroom renovations at the elementary, would involve switching over from sheetrock walls with vinyl coverings to ceramic tile.

The widening of the high school driveway was introduced at this meeting and therefore no price estimates were available. In terms of the proposed parking lot, Craig said a rough estimate of $2,000 per space was likely.