Construction on Target for Fall 2022 Opening of New Wheeler Co. School
Despite some early, unexpected delays, construction is now on target for a Fall 2022 opening of Wheeler County’s new school, as originally planned. The $36 million, 167, 264-square-foot facility, being built with a state grant of $30,482,60 and proceeds from a special local option sales tax, will house pre-kindergarten through 12th grades.
Superintendent Suzanne Couey updated the Wheeler County Board of Education about progress on the new school at the Board’s regular session on June 14.
Heavy spring rains that temporarily halted site preparation, as well as an encounter with an old foundation which had to be removed, delayed progress in the first few weeks of construction at the new school site, but as of last week, crews were solidly back on schedule with the steel and masonry framecontinued from page
work of the two-story structure taking shape.
The structure is about 10 percent complete, said Gregory Wilcher, Wheeler County Schools Facilities Director. “Work should continue to progress on schedule. I don’t foresee any holdups for the availability of materials,” he said.
Wilcher said a national steel shortage has brought numerous construction projects to a standstill, but Wheeler County is not facing that issue. Steel for the local project has already been purchased, put into storage and will be hauled in by truck as needed. “Four truckloads of steel arrived last Monday,” he noted.
A portion of the second floor of the school building has been poured and roof panels are now being put into place. “We expect the roof to go on in the next couple of weeks,” Wilcher noted. “We are getting to a point now where weather should not be a factor,” Wilcher said of the subcontractors who are working five to six days a week erecting steel supports, pouring concrete, laying blocks and doing preliminary work for installing plumbing and electrical systems. He expects the building to be “dried in” or closed in, except for some exterior brickwork, around the first few weeks of 2022. JCI-Lentile is the main contractor for the project. Old Glenwood School
In other business at its June session, the Wheeler County Board of Education approved the transfer of the deed for historic Glenwood School to the City of Glenwood. The school, which once housed elementary through high school levels, was later a site for the county’s middle school classes but has not been used for education since TAPS (alternative education program) vacated the premises several years ago. Recently, reunions for graduates of the Glenwood High School have been held at the site.
Being able to convey the structure to the City of Glenwood which, in turn conveyed the site to the Wheeler County Development Authority, relieves the School Board of the responsibility of maintaining the old school building continued from page
and the adjacent gym, and cutting the grass on the 12acre site.
Glenwood Mayor G.M. Joiner, who also heads the Development Authority, said the conveyance keeps the property in local hands for potential community use. The old school was built in the 1920s, with a high school addition and gym added later. It is considered to be of significance to the community as a historic site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Situated between Third Avenue and U.S. Highway 280, the old school has city utilities and is considered to be a prime location for development, Joiner said. “We do not have any current plans for the site, but would welcome input from citizens on the future use of the site.”
Library Board, New Employees During its June session, the Board appointed Middle School Principal Hal Ford as a school representative on the Wheeler County Library Board. His term extends through June 30, 2022. New personnel approved by the Board are: Brooke Nobles, paraprofessional, and, pending certification, Melinda Moore, English and language arts instructor.
