http://www.waltonsun.com/news/school_792___article.html/board_walton.html
South Walton moves one step closer to acquiring new middle school
Sean Boone
2008-02-20 12:52:00
South Walton moves one step closer to acquiring new middle school
Sean Boone
2008-02-20 12:52:00
Only three residents were in attendance at Tuesday?s Walton School Board meeting, despite a critical vote regarding funding for a new middle school in South Walton.
The School Board approved a $1.15 million architectural plan for a new Emerald Coast Middle School on County Road 30A. William Elliot Jr. of Elliott Marshall Innes P.A., told the board his firm could provide a 10 percent discount on 32 percent of the scheduled work and would be willing to work with budget conflicts.
?If you don?t get the funding until 2009, we could start in July and be done in 2011,? he said.
Elliot Marshall is currently the front-runner of three firms vying for the architectural job.
The 17.4 million dollar project is being designed to hold more than 800 students and share lunchroom facilities with Butler Elementary. In addition, the new school would provide much needed classroom space for the near-capacity elementary school.
Bob Hudson of the Walton County Taxpayers Association questioned the board?s decision to build a school that will hold more than double the current enrollment the school has. Hudson said he feared a large school would be a waste of money if the economy did not pick up and more people didn?t move to the area.
?We just need to get it right,? he emphasized to the board.
Administration and Operations Supervisor Wayne Miller defended the design on grounds of future planning and the current overcrowding of area schools.
?Right now the elementary schools are overcrowded,? he said. ?By the time we finish, we won?t know where we are going to be (enrollment).?
Board member Mark Davis added that in the past, the district has always overbuilt due to the unknown enrollment levels in the future.
In addition to the school issue, School Board Chairman Darrell Barnhill proposed a new policy that correlates with the Federal Medical Leave Act that would allow district employees the option to take an unpaid 90 day leave of absence during a family emergency and not run the risk of being fired.
?I don?t think it?s going to damage the district if someone needs to take leave for family emergency,? he said.
According to Superintendent Carlene Anderson, the district already has a policy that allows leave and is effective after 97 days of employment.
The board did not take an action on the Barnhill suggestion and referred the policy to School Board Attorney Ben Holley for further evaluation.
Tuesday?s meeting, which was held at South Walton High School, was the first scheduled Walton School Board meeting in the south end of the county in more than six years.