TCS approves capital plans
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The Troy Board of Education approved its capital plan Monday night, a move that calls for a new central office and additional classrooms.
“Every year we have to submit to the State Department of Education a five-year project plan,” said Troy Superintendent Linda Felton-Smith.
Among those improvements, the board has called first for a new central office, which is already underway and will be located on a property donated by the city of Troy on Highway 87.
This project will be funded with bond money issued from the state in 2007.
In addition, the plan calls to make additions and renovations to Charles Henderson Middle School and Troy Elementary School, improving the campus and building canopies. This will also be funded with the same state bond money.
Next in line will be addition of classrooms and a bathroom at Charles Henderson High School that have handicap accessibility, but Felton-Smith said there is no funding for that at this time. The high school also has plans to renovate the cafeteria during the five-year span.
Handicapped and additional classrooms will also be called for at TES, and electrical circuit upgrades at all Troy City Schools are the final of the priorities.
Felton-Smith said of these projects, the new central office and canopy construction should be completed in the 2010 budget year, which ends Sept. 30, 2010.
While others are high priorities, Felton-Smith said it is unknown how the other projects would be funded.
And, in a year that local school systems anticipate an 8 to 10 percent proration, on top of what was already called this year, it is likely those projects will have to be put on hold.
Also in the meeting, Felton-Smith updated the board on the school systems’ strategic plan.
Since the plan’s beginning, seven objectives have been completed, 47 have began and four are on hold. The plan spans different education topics, such as quality of teaching, strengthening curriculum, parental partnership, community partnerships, facility improvements and revenues.
The board also heard an academic report from CHMS Math Teacher Becky Kirby. Kirby discussed a Web-based program “Study Island” that is used in some of the teaching at CHMS and TES.
The program allows students to work in an entertaining way to enhance math, science and reading skills.