The Bradwell Institute gym floor is expected to be replaced by the end of the month, Liberty County Board of Education members learned.
Arnold Jackson, school system chief operations officer, updated board members on 15 construction projects ongoing or in the works across the district, including replacing the BI gym floor.
The entire wooden floor at the gym had to be replaced, Jackson said, following an accident that a fire safety sprinkler to activate and flood the gym floor. Subflooring has been installed, and striping has gone down on gym floor.
The project, at a cost of $186,000, is being done by Southern Flooring. Bradwell’s gym had a major renovation performed four years ago.
In all, the 15 projects total more than $20 million and include new buses and new public address systems for each school.
The biggest price tag is $3.8 million, for renovations at Liberty Elementary School. The state Department of Education has approved the designs and a bid opening is scheduled for March 14.
Renovations at Joseph Martin Elementary are expected to cost $3.2 million. Those designs also have met state Department of Education approval and a bid opening is set for March 9.
The cafeteria renovation for Bradwell Institute has been completed. Cafeteria renovations for Bradwell and Liberty County High are scheduled at a cost of $585,000. “It is complete and it looks fantastic,” Jackson said.
A project to place solar panels at Frank Long Elementary is 95% complete and should be finished by the end of the month, Jackson added.
Also nearing completion is an entire interior renovation at the Pre-K Center, at more than $1.4 million. A canopy for the front is slated to be installed over spring break.
Athletic facilities across the district are getting a makeover, as Bradwell’s softball fieldhouse will be expanded and the the playing surface will be replaced with field turf. That total cost is $900,000. Softball and baseball fields at Liberty County High also will be going to field turf, with a projected cost of $2.5 million.
Project design and construction documents for those endeavors are scheduled to be completed in March.
Board members also approved work at LCHS’ Donell Woods Stadium that will cost nearly $2 million. The school system also plans to spend $250,000 on upgrading the tennis courts at Bradwell Institute.
Upgrades for Midway Middle School’s HVAC system, at a tab of nearly $2.5 million, also were approved.
All PA systems throughout the school system will be upgraded, replacing the intercoms and speakers, at a cost of $450,000.
Life safety system upgrades, replacing the fire alarms systems at Button Gwinnett and Lyman Hall, are in a design phase, with a projected cost of $300,000. Designs also have been finished for security upgrades, including cameras, across the school system at a projected cost of $500,000.
The school system also bought eight new air-conditioned buses, at a total cost of more than $836,000.
Costs of the school system’s construction projects are covered through education special local option sales tax proceeds.