In a recent interview concerning the March 29 vote on a bond issue that would fund a new consolidated high school, Simpson County School Superintendent Dr. Toriano Holloway said emphatically that he hopes the bond issue will pass so that a complete educational opportunity would be available for the children of Simpson County.
While final plans are far from complete, the facility for the new Simpson County High School would range in size from 120,000 to 135,000 square feet. Space does not come cheap at a proposed $275 per square foot for finishing to a complete classroom, student-ready status, which will total $39 million.
This amount should not be confused with the cost of the physical building alone.
The facility will house grades 9-12 and is being built for a planned student population of 1,300.
Doctor Holloway said approximately 1,000 public school students fall into the category of ninth through twelfth grade in Simpson County. The student population proposal at 1,300 allows for substantial increase over the current enrollment level of 1,000.
Holloway said his goal is to provide students the opportunity to pursue career interests and take classes in programs that improve their opportunity to enter those selected fields of study. He said that, for example, if a student has an interest in a healthcare career his class schedule would be more strongly slanted toward studies in areas like anatomy and physiology. This would allow students to focus on careers they have expressed an interest in exploring.
Dr. Holloway said that prior to the Tuesday, March 29, bond issue election, a community steering committee will hold informational meetings around the county to inform people of the plans for the consolidated Simpson County High School.
The committee is chaired by Ian Cowart. Robbie Barnes is vice chair, and Dennis Ammann is treasurer. Other committee members include Tiffany Kinslow, David Booth, Barbara and Jon Fuller, Christopher Woodard, Crystal Brewer, Audarshia Flagg, Dr. Dewayne Middleton and Dr. Jonathan Bines. Holloway said the committee intends to host 13 meetings around the county prior to the election and produce materials advertising the bond vote as well as the details of the new consolidated high school.
Plans are being made with the assumption that the bond issue will pass in March.
The deal for the property on Hwy. 49 for the school site is expected to be finalized within the next 60 days. Environmental studies must be conducted, but the requirements for those are not as stringent as for studies required by industrial prospects.
Dr. Holloway said that if everything happens as planned, ground breaking could occur as soon as the fall of the 2022 school year.
He said the anticipated construction time is 18 to 22 months, but as always, issues like delays for weather and procurement of materials could play into the plans and make the process longer than anticipated.
Holloway said the consolidation would impact employment and could require additional teaching positions. There are anticipated increases in certain areas, but that also has a lot to do with class offerings.
He said they are currently reviewing transportation needs, and initial indicators reveal that transporting students to one campus instead of two may reduce some of the current expense. He said he is working with District Maintenance Manager Jeffery Walker, and they are implementing new software that will assist in more efficient bus routes.
Funding for the new school would come from the $39 million bond issue to pay for the academic facility. Overall, cost is projected at $51 million, $12 million of which would come from refinancing of existing debt which the board recently completed.
The additional $12 million would go toward the building of a new football field and stadium, a baseball complex and a performing arts complex on the new campus.
An initial report indicated the total figure for the new school and other school improvements was $61 million, which would cover current construction projects being done on the Mendenhall Elementary campus to serve all fifth grade students who are currently enrolled with the junior high students.
Once the new county high school is complete, the remainder of students in Mendenhall would occupy the existing high school facility, and the current junior high facility would be closed. Simpson Central’s gym is being renovated and other projects are being completed at that location.
Dr. Holloway says he is hopeful that occupation of the new facility would occur in 2024 or 25 based on issues that are uncontrollable. This is the plan, provided bond issue passes.
If the bond issue does not pass, a consolidated high school would still be built, but it would not offer everything that is currently on the drawing table, particularly in athletics. Football facilities would remain at the existing football complex at Mendenhall High School, which offers more parking than the facilities in Magee.
Baseball would remain at the Magee baseball complex. Both circumstances presents additional transportation issues for the district.
The performing arts center that is planned would either be eliminated or delayed. Building plans for the main building would most likely require scaling back.
But funding would come in part from the refinancing of the existing debt along with increases in taxes each year that the school district is authorized to request without any form of referendum.
According to County Tax Assessor Jaime Brewer, the existing rate of taxation for the school district is 45.27, which includes an annual maintenance funding. The millage rate for Simpson County is 108 for county operations with 42.77 mils going directly to school operations and the balance to maintenance funds which makes up the 45.27 mils in funding. Standard mil valuation is approximately $193,000 but can vary based on items like whether a taxpayer lives in one of the municipalities.
Dr. Holloway said the taxes can increase annually up to three mils without voter approval, up to 55 mils from the existing rate. This also is associated with the valuation of the assessed value of the county, which should increase on an annual basis with moderate growth.
Holloway also noted that once taxes become part of the annual fee structure, they rarely ever go away, but once a bond issue is paid off, it would come off the annual debt obligation. Therefore the debt to service the bond payment would not be a part of annual costs. This is the one of the major reasons, the board says, that they are advocating passage of a bond issue.