By SUSAN TEBBEN
Glasgow Daily Times
GLASGOW —
Officials with Barren County Schools are looking at adding two more classrooms to the expansion plan for North Jackson Elementary.
They sought approval from the local planning committee to move forward with the plan.
The Kentucky Depart-ment of Education asked that the school system conduct a finding for the district facility plan before seeking approval for the two extra classrooms, which would make a total of six additional classrooms at North Jackson since it opened two years ago.
The school board approved the construction of four new classrooms in May to meet the unanticipated level of growth that had occurred at North Jackson Elementary, Superintendent Jerry Ralston said at the special-called meeting Thursday where the board approved the projects.
“Basically, we’re overcrowded, we’re busting at the seams so we need to build six new classrooms not four,” Ralston said.
North Jackson Elementary was built to house 350 students, but as of May there were already 375 registered for the next school year with the district estimating there will be 450 children attending the school.
But committee members stressed that though it seems like the district just keeps adding and adding, the classrooms are only bringing the construction plan up to its original size.
“The public keeps asking me ‘Why do we keep on adding,’ and my answer was that we initially planned for this [project] to be bigger ... now we’re getting to the size we originally requested,” said committee member Lori Green, a teacher at Park City.
When North Jackson was being planned, Barren County had initially submitted plans for a school building with a 500-student capacity. The state did not approve that figure because it was based on an estimate and not an existing student population.
The board previously approved building and grounds permits for the NJE classrooms as well as greenhouses for all schools. Ralston said the KDE advised him that if they added the two classrooms to the district’s facility plan, the district could use bond money for the project, rather than digging into the general fund.
With the planning committee’s approval, the district can now present their plans to the KDE for approval, and Ralston is hoping for an “overnight decision” like they received when they applied for the building permits for the previous plan.
“We are planning on starting the bid process sometime this month,” Ralston said.
If the district gains approval for six classrooms, the additional two will cost less than one-third of the total cost, Ralston said.
The estimated cost of the four classrooms, 800 square feet of space, was $854,486, according to the facilities plan.
Also discussed at the meeting, Ralston and Barren County High School principal Keith Hale announced plans to eventually have a building to house the new Reserve Officer Training Corps program.
They are planning to apply for another building ground permit that would include the ROTC building, and they hope to renovate BCHS’s media center and band room.
“ROTC is not only a priority but a necessity,” Hale said. “It gives a group of kids the chance to ... find their place. It opens up lots of possibilities and opportunities for not just the ROTC kids but also the middle school, high school and even the elementary school.”
The ROTC building can also be used when athletic teams need to dress and shower, Hale said. Ralston also noted that the district could use bond funds from the State Department for the building.
“It’s an opportunity like we’ve never had before for the high school,” Ralston said.
