“The natatorium, which was included in the original design of the project as an add alternate, was a part of the education SPLOST approved by the voters in 2010,” said Don Hood, Calhoun City Schools’ Finance Director.
“The Board’s decision to accept the add alternate will provide a facility to support additional physical education programs as well as health and wellness opportunities for our students and community.”
The school board approved an adjustment of about $4.8 million to the contracted guaranteed maximum price of the project, Hood said.
“This includes approximately $3.4 million for the construction of the natatorium,” he said. “Other major adjustments included constructing a covered walkway between buildings B and C, improving the asphalt track included in the base bid to include the installation of a polyurethane track surface and an improved drainage system; plus funding several smaller improvements.
“The adjustment also includes $475,000 for future contingencies,” he added. “These contingency funds will only be spent if necessary.”
The school system will fund the project with Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) dollars.
However, if the appropriate funds are not collected in time for completion of the project, board members intend to ask the City of Calhoun for a $1.5 million line of credit, which would be repaid with SPLOST funds once collected.
“The city’s $1.5 million line of credit will be used if needed to supplement SPLOST revenues and other funding streams,” Hood said. “Internal funds used and any funds drawn from the city’s line of credit will be repaid with SPLOST funds not dedicated for interest and principal payments on outstanding bonds.”
Hood said the addition of the natatorium to the gym “will result in savings by allowing (architects) RA-LIN/Fox & Brindle to include it as a continuation of the gym which is currently under construction.”
The High-Middle School Complex is being constructed using bonds approved by the voters in 2010.
“The bond resolution authorized the city to issue $33 million in bonds for this purpose,” Hood said. “The first $21 million of bonds were issued in 2011 as qualified school construction bonds which are federally subsidized and on which the city will pay no interest.
“The remaining $12 million of bonds were issued in 2012,” he added. “In addition, the Calhoun City Schools received a $15.7 million capital outlay grant from the state for the construction of the new school.”
Construction will begin on the natatorium by July 1 and is expected to be completed by July 1 of next year.
Roughly 46 percent of rural counties just beyond the edge of metropolitan areas experienced natural decrease.
Federal funding has helped many cities weather the decline in private sector jobs.
What might be a better use of the funds is to not borrow for a swimming facility and use any excess funds to pay down debt. This will allow the system to use funds generated by national, state and local resources to better service the students in our system.
I am concerned as are many by the cost of providing education and what seems like a gradual decline in nationally normed test scores at our High School. If we want to prepare students to go on to college and compete then our students must be prepared to compete with all other students. Our SAT scores are now lower than the State Average and of course the State average is lower than the National average scores.
Oman..."...needed additions..." you're on a serious sugar high.
Face it, folks, we bankrupted the system over the past three decades of growth and excessive spending. A classroom of 30 kids years ago had the basic 5 teachers including Reading, 1 special ed teacher for a small school and 2 or 3 for a larger, and none of this other gobbly gook. Know what? We got along fine.
Obama promised to focus on government waste and spending by using a scalpel to wisely cut and slice...To no ones surprise, he lied...Nothing's been cut or sliced, and look at the shape we're in. He STILL has refused to wisely cut and trim.
We need to be wise with our spending. If it ain't needed, if we don't absolutely need to have it, if it's pretty and nice but costs extra, well, it needs to be gone.
Now is NOT the time to be wasting the taxpayers money on projects like this one.
Actually the money can "run out" if there isn't enough tax revenue. Notice that the article mentioned asking for a line of credit. Why a line of credit, if the money is there?
Two questions: 1) SPLOST funds come from? 2) See Saturday headline?
China says it is "fully prepared" for a currency war with the rest of the world.
Warren Buffett has been drastically reducing his exposure to stocks that depend on consumer purchasing habits.
With 70% of the U.S. economy dependent on consumer spending, Buffett’s apparent lack of faith in these companies’ future prospects is worrisome.
Buffett has become fabulously rich doing this.
Leaders, educators who bark "...grow or be left behind..." are no longer trusted in Birmingham, AL.
Maybe GC/Calhoun can be positioned better as a dot not bankrupt.
Sure is a mite pretty thing, though! Nice little old watering hole for locals to be splashing in, all at yours truly expense.
Sorry, folks, but during these hard economic times, we can't afford it, no matter which crooked pocket it's being pulled out of by our political establishment magicians. All of us, I'm sure, could think of at least a dozen other ways to spend $4.8 million dollars in tax payer money. This is a bunch of hockey puck!
I'm sick and tired of our locally elected officials running around and spending OUR MONEY on projects like this one.
Listen, folks...It's Ok to be buying things when you're flush with money...but we're not! We're broke, and it ain't gonna be getting better anytime soon. When we've got numerous empty foreclosed homes sitting around on street after street, when 50% of the kids in our schools are on free lunches, when people are living day by day on a meager income, WE AIN'T GOT NO REASON TO BE SPENDING $4.8 MILLION DOLLARS on crap like this!
Spending money before we have it? The government reports say the economy is improving, but look around. Middle class and lower middle class families are still struggling and tax increases are on the horizon. Why does the school system want to grab what little extra might be coming their way?
What about the idea of being conservative with our money. There is no overwhelming need or demand for a pool at the school. Plus what of the continued hidden costs like insurance, maintenance personal, upkeep, and security? How much cash will the school dish out for accidents that happen in and around the pool?