Houston times-journal. (Perry, Ga.) 1994-1999, September 04, 1996, Image 10

Houston times-journal., September 04, 1996, Page Page 2B, Image 10

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Newspaper Page TextWednesday, Sept. 4, 1996, Houston Times-Journal Page 2B Voters face choice on school buildings County could go $34.5 million into debt to renovate, add to and build schools By Jj JOHNSON Times-Journal Editor When students at Houston County public schools returned to their class rooms a few days ago, students in 209 of those classrooms entered portable buildings. Those buildings are located at virtu ally every school location in the county except for the two new middle schools which opened this fall. Because of the large number of new students enrolling in Houston County during recent years, the number of portable classrooms will continue to increase unless voters approve a $34.5 million bond referendum Sept. 17. That’s , what Houston County School Superintendent Tony Hinnant believes. He even admits that with the bond referendum approved, the con struction of about 200 new classrooms won’t keep up with the current growth trend. The referendum would, however, solve some major problems for the sys tem which added 700 students (the equivalent of a large elementary or middle school) to the system from January-May, 1996. With enrollment hovering at the 20,000 mark and continuing to grow, the Houston County Board of Education determined a plan of action, Hinnant said. This plan includes major renovation at several schools, additions at other schools, two new elementary schools and a new middle school. At the schools to be renovated, the work will be extensive. Electric wiring will be replaced. Plumbing will be replaced. Floor coverings will be moved. The green paint which has been on the walls of many schools for 18 years will be covered. Several schools will receive major roof repairs. At Tucker Elementary in Perry, where large barrels catch water every time it rains, repairs have begun on a budget line-item repair job. Other schools will wait until the results of the Sept. 17 referendum are known, Hinnant said. At many schools, especially older elementary schools, the bathrooms will receive extensive work. As Kings Chapel Elementary Principal Dave Crockett explained, “Years of urine spilling over into the grout has left a permanent smell which no deodorizer can hide.” Like most elementary school princi pals, Crockett uses deodorizers, thor ough cleanings and a good hosing down of the restrooms to contain the bathroom oder as best possible. Miller Elementary in Warner Robins is one of the schools scheduled for major renovations. There, principal Bill Lamberth maintains a diagram of the electrical connections at the school. That is because the school, built in 1957, has received extensive additions and changes over the years and electri cal panels have been added. The dia gram helps him trace problems when a fuse blows. Lamberth also deals with what Hinnant described as the smallest media center in the county, a classroom and a half which have been made into a library. Renovations at that school would provide for a new media center, Hinnant said. At Tabor Middle School in Warner Robins, there are about 16 portable classrooms, the same number as at Perry Middle School. At Perry Middle, there are 16 new portable classrooms which replaced old ones used previous- * * *&*. IL* ' "* LIGHTING Kings Chapel Elementary principal Dave Crockett is among several princi pals with lighting problems. Iw| wjpH f *"*«*»•*»•■ •**.* » Times-Journal Photos by Jj Johnson PORTABLES FOREVER Stretching to the horizon are portable classrooms at Tabor Middle School in Warner Robins. Every middle school and high school in Houston County utilizes portable classrooms, as do many of the elementary schools. The county owns more than 200 portable classrooms according to School Superintendent Tony Hinnant. ly. The new rooms are much better, according to Principal Bobby Pennington. Built in groups of four rooms, the new portable units include restrooms, something most portable classrooms in the county do not feature. TV •> ’• f TfljPrif j| | y' <.x l' jpUHlir ■ jHPpi mWSmjI WHEN IT RAINS ... Students at Tucker Elementary School won’t have to dodge rain buckets like these much longer, thanks to a new roof being installed this month at the school. Other schools also have serious leaks. — HUHra « y**t> [BJif ; &ilii&iw WW I ■MMMiiiiißiM . - 5? * .*. *.*p * flMjf£^^H»rjjjj||^pHHflg^H |jgP '{ffrftr iTnll ajßßt 1 “ - f *'; H II I r wMBBBra I ***" : v; ! ;'- ! ,,' . K / ■y* , *r 1 I p I - y~J i ■v. «»-u t ) \ WsT\^mU I 1 ißf W ftyft > gf v m I JT ~ "*TEm. jffi| IK |!f llHi S BlllSr x *■ |i fUf l; J JK K .« j. I fi?/lf If I 3 I'v \ , . • -XI .i s 'x THIS BOX GOES TO ... Miller Elementary Principal Bill Lamberth points to one of the many electrical service boxes which have been added since the school opened about 35 years ago. New wiring will help remove this problemjSchool Superintendent Tony Hinnant said. At Warner Robins High School and Northside High School, eight new portable classrooms are tied with large spikes directly to the asphalt of parking lots. At Perry High, the four new porta bles are located near the front entrance rzr ; ; \ . ij *? *• < ■< .* i: v :- &4M AftfttMfin FALLING PAINT The paint on the wall of the media center at Kings Chapel Elementary is cracking and falling off the brick. Many buildings feature green paint purchased about 18 years ago, according to School Superintendent Tony Hinnant. of the school, one of the few available spaces for locating the buildings, Hinnant said. Northside High School is the largest school in the county with an enrollment of about 1,700, up about 250 from last f 1 s ' . ;w; . » •*■ ■'"' ■. • „ i d&t jti at niigww ; 'lll . •■•■; •: i' ; * : '-v HOT TIME ON THE PARKING LOT Returning students at Warner Robins High School found eight portable classrooms bolted to the park ing lot north of the school. The classrooms are anchored to concrete block pie& on the asphalt. year because of zoning changes. Approval of the bond referendum would mean new classroom wings at all four county high schools. Approval would also lead to con struction of a new middle school in Perry. Hinnant said the school would likely be located on property the school system bought two years ago. The property fronts on the north Perry Bypass between U.S. 41 and Houston Lake Road. Should voters approve the $34.5 mil lion referendum Sept. 17, their taxes would go up to pay for the bonds. How much they would go up depends on what Georgia voters do Nov. 6 when they vote on a statewide referen dum changing local sales tax rules. The new rules, if approved, would allow county voters to authorize spe cial option local sales tax collection for specific projects, and with k definite ending date. If the statewide referendum passes Nov.. 6, Hinnant expects members of the Board of Education to call for a spe cial purpose location option tax refer endum in Houston County during March, 1997. He said if voters approve that one cent tax, the cost to property owners in the county would be slightly more dian half a mill for one year before enough sales tax was collected to replace the property tax payment. After that, all bond money would come from the sales tax. Should the property tax referendum pass and the sales tax referendum fail, the cost to taxpayers would be about 2.5 mills per year, Hinnant said. That means about SSO per $50,000 property value per year. /" *|> j. ~•&.> P r ' i - --^*c gal ft ■ ~^jy.y-- : f '.v ’ aB-y •$* Jf '? ■••> : % &f M i ' ' n ; £Sj» few »| §B HAPPY CAMPER Perdue Elementary School second grade teacher Susie Anderson smiles as she moves into her new classroom completed this summer.