Mitch Stone
reporter@highlandsnews.com
Highlands School hosted the Macon County Board of Education on Monday, March 23, as members heard facilities updates and approved a resolution to rename Bartram Academy.
Maintenance Director Tracy Tallent provided updates about recent and potential facility upgrades across the county.
Tallent said that architects Mike Watson and Mark Masters expressed interest in completing a third-party assessment of East Franklin High School. The assessment is needed to apply for a needs-based grant.
“We need to know how much to ask the commissioners to do this assessment, but as you remember, we have to turn in this piece for the grant process,” said Tallent. “So we don’t want to lag behind on this if we can help it.”
Watson will come before the board at the next meeting with an estimated cost for the assessment.
Tallent also said he is considering a recommended flooring type for the new Franklin High School that requires no waxing and minimal water. The flooring, planned for the educational hallways, would save the board a substantial amount of money. The board will make a decision at their April meeting.
Following a proposal from Summit Architecture Project Manager Jeff Weller during the public comment period regarding a new soccer field for Highlands School, the board elected to refer the information to the liaison committee and will revisit the topic in April to determine a path forward. The proposal outlined three different options, with Highlands School Athletic Director Brett Lamb preferring to upgrade the current soccer field rather than the track, particularly with Zachary Park no longer under consideration.
“I coached track for about 10 years and put a lot of heart and soul into it,” said Lamb. “I know the Rotary Club bought us the high jump pad and if we lose that [the track], we lose that program and we don’t have enough programs to lose any.”
Facility use policy
Board Attorney John Henning said Macon County Schools’ facility use policy has been updated since the last time the board met in February. He noted that all proposed changes were accepted and highlighted guidelines regarding kitchen facility usage.
Henning said use of kitchen facilities requires specific approval, with a knowledgeable staff member present whose salary must be covered by the user. He added that after speaking with Macon County Schools Nutrition Director David Lightner, there are concerns about allowing repeated, long-term use of kitchen facilities.
“I think that his concern would probably be the wear-and-tear of a consistent user over-and-over again is not something those kitchens are signed up for,” said Henning. “It remains the case that any other use will still require his specific sign-off.”
Henning also said the board needs to develop a memorandum of understanding with the county for consistent users, including recreation sports leagues and students.
Consistent county users will be charged $75 per hour, along with additional employee expenses for kitchen use.
“Previously, the cafeteria manager just needed to come up with a number each time,” said Henning. “But they [users] need to know up front so they can determine if they can cover it or not and ensure consistency. If you’re leaving them on a school-by-school basis, it could get out of wack.”
Outside of consistent county users, all other users will be charged $100 per hour plus employee expenses.
Kitchen use fees are needed to offset operating costs.
Board Chairman Jim Breedlove and board member Hilary Wilkes said they would like additional time to review the documents, especially given the absence of fellow board member Stephanie Laseter. The board will review the documents and revisit them at the next meeting.
Bartram Academy renamed
The board unanimously approved the renaming of Bartram Academy to The Peak at FHS. The name was developed by staff and represents growth, achievement and the relentless pursuit of potential, carrying its identity forward while becoming a part of the FHS family. The school, currently located in the old Union Elementary School, will move to the new Franklin High School when it is completed.
The next Board of Education meeting will be at 6 p.m. April 27 at East Franklin Elementary School.