Published June 22, 2006
Additions to Pickens High are the top priority for
school board building plan

By Dan Pool
Members of the Pickens school administration are evaluating plans, meeting with architects and studying different options to accomplish the top priorities under the next SPLOST and five year facilities plan.
Superintendent Mike Ballew said in an interview earlier this month they already have planning well underway on how to expand Pickens High School by 20 classrooms.
Groundbreaking for the work, which will be funded under the SPLOST 3 sales tax, could be as early as April 2007. The school board will continue to collect sales tax under SPLOST 2 for the remainder of this year.
Ballew said there are several different ideas of how a 20-room addition can be accomplished based on the topography surrounding the high school and different ways to connect the new building to the existing structure. He said an architect is preparing different scenarios.
In discussing the work, Ballew frequently uses words like "if" and " chance." Among some of the possibilities is that if the work can start in April, students can move into their new space by the Christmas break of 2008.
And, if the growth rate stays steady, the 20-classroom addition should allow the single high school to serve the county for 10 years.
"No one likes to project for 10 years, but we had to for this project and feel like it should hold us for ten years," he said.
Ballew said the current high school enrollment in grades 9-12 is 1,200. The campus with the added classroom building could accommodate 1,500, which is within projections for the next decade. Ballew said there are a few grade levels coming through the system now, where enrollment is lower than the average, meaning even as the overall population continues to rise there will be a window where enrollment in certain grade levels is lower.
Along with the classrooms, the school board is planning to add a fine arts building and new gym to the high school campus. Ballew estimated the high school projects could run $12 million to $13 million. The total SPLOST 3 projected revenue is $30 million.
Ballew said they plan on putting projects out for bid, grouped by campus. He said allowing contractors to do all the projects at one campus at one time would be a cost-saving to the schools.
Discussing the new gym, Ballew said although they are still looking at plans, the new one would be "a little larger" than the current gym.
He said they are still brainstorming over how the two gyms could be used.
Among some of the ideas are for the new gym to be used for larger crowds such as basketball games and let the old one serve as a practice facility, for use with wrestling, and with other sports.
He said there is some overcrowding with PE classes and events which having two gyms would eliminate.
"Having two gyms would offer us a little leeway for facilities," he said.

 The need for a fine arts building is more clearly defined. The current auditorium at the school is entirely too small, a condition which drew complaints as soon as the high school was completed.
Ballew said the current auditorium is too small to hold band concerts there.
The new fine arts building will likely be built to seat around 750, which according to Ballew, is about all a budget can accommodate.
When asked why they can't build something big enough to hold the full projected enrollment of 1,500, Ballew said the costs would be phenomenal.
"You would be talking about millions and millions for a facility that large," he said.
Ballew said they are considering how this building can be used by community groups.
"We believe it is beneficial for the school system and for the entire community as well," he said. "There are things outside the school system which could benefit us culturally."
Other schools in the system will also see some new facilities.
Next on the priority list, according to the five year plan is a new roof and kitchen remodeling at Tate Elementary. Ballew said these were items, "we've got to take care of."
Jasper Elementary School is scheduled to have a new gym built as well as kitchen remodeling.
Pickens Middle School will see some additions to the athletic facilities including a football field, and bleachers. Ballew said there will be an attempt to balance the facilities available at the two middle schools. Although Pickens Middle is newer, Jasper Middle School came with facilities which remained from its history as a high school, including a football field.
Ballew said there may be some minor projects at the two newest schools in the system, Hill City and Harmony Elementary, but probably nothing significant.
Also included in the plans is a new administrative office building. Ballew said currently there are administrative departments spread in different locations which hampers efficiency.
This building will be added to the Jasper Elementary campus. He said the new central office will include upgrades to keep it in line with the current technology requirements of operating a school system and also allow training space.
Although the classroom addition, two new gyms (PHS, JES), fine arts building, and board office sound like ambitious plans, Ballew felt it could all be accomplished using the SPLOST funds.
He pointed out that this will be the first SPLOST which hasn't included a totally new campus.
"I'm confident we'll get it all unless the economy goes south. And if it goes south, we'll reload," he said. "We have the priorities set and we know how much will be coming in before we start the work."
In the current SPLOST 2, the board's revenue didn't ever live up to the projections. It is projected to finish $1.3 million behind the $22 estimated revenues. However the board still managed to complete their major work - Harmony Elementary.