The Caldwell County Elementary School moved one step even closer in the direction of considerable improvements Monday night, when the Caldwell County Board of Education unanimously approved schematics drawn by architects of Sherman Carter Barnhart.
Superintendent Jeremy Roach addressed the five critical bullet points with this designed, noting a new HVAC system with climate-controlled classrooms, electric upgrades for lighting and cabling, a security vestibule to the entrance, a new cosmetic and up-to-date look — as well as ADA-compliant bathrooms, kitchens and gymnasium — were among the key highlights of the building project.
Set to begin construction during the summer of 2022 and be completed at the beginning of August 2023, Associate Principal Architect Andrew Owens addressed the concerns of potential classroom interruptions — because the project needs two summers to complete.
Among the more complex parts of the renovation will be the installation of 1-to-1 HVAC units for the classrooms, which will allow for independent thermostat controls to the main system.
Principal Melissa Thomas said that alone would be worth the potential for disruption, and that a series of options are going to be available and on the discussion table for students and teachers to keep classrooms composed.
This could include the use of makeshift trailers and scheduled maintenance, rotating students and faculty through on-site mobile units until each room is appropriately outfitted. Thomas added the last three years have been chaotic, but one more year could make the difference between clutter and clarity.
School schematics weren’t the only improvements the board unanimously approved, either.
Having recently opened a T-Mobile store on Hwy. 62, the school’s main governing authority also OK’d entering into the media giant’s “Project 10Million” Plan, in which students without access to free Wi-Fi options are offered hefty mobile hotspots — allowing them to access learning-only online materials free of cost.
Roach noted the school qualified for more than 100 such devices, and that there were only a few tiny pockets within Caldwell County that don’t have cellular service necessary to operate the device.
It was also reported that more than 40 Caldwell County students and 10 teachers were either displaced temporarily or permanently by the December 10 tornado.
