DECATUR -- "How can we make Decatur Middle and High school campuses more visually pleasing?" was a question the Decatur School board has been pondering for the past year.
This question was finally answered during the school board meeting held at Decatur High School June 15. The question was presented at the May 20 meeting.
"Ike Owens and I have gone to each campus and surveyed the current layout of our streets and parking areas," said Jeff Gravette, Decatur schools superintendent. "We have come up with a plan that will work."
The plan calls for resurfacing the street from Stadium Ave. to the circle driveway in the center of the high school campus. Paving also includes the parking areas around the circle and near the band room and bus yard.
The current gravel lot next to the stadium will be paved to include three lanes of parking and additional lighting. Three parallel parking spaces along the east side of Peterson Gym will be used for visiting team buses. The current faculty parking along the south end of the gym will be paved and a sidewalk will run the length of those spaces. The parking area along the football field will give way to a driveway.
The north entrance to Decatur Middle school will be widened and the current middle entrance to the administration office will be closed. The middle school plan also calls for the elimination of all parking spaces between the middle school office and administration office. These will give way to a student drop off lane and expanded bus parking.
At Decatur Northside Elementary, the gravel road that runs along the southwest side of the school will be turned into a two-lane paved road with a long single row of parking on the southwest side of the road.
"We have several grants and funding options that we are looking at to pay for these projects," Gravette said. "The problem we face is time. We would like to complete these projects by the beginning of the 2015-16 school year."
The district voted during the May meeting to pursue bids on the project. Gravette told the school board that, since the bidding process was opened, he has received several, ranging from $100,000 to $180,000.
"We still have two companies that want to submit bids," Gravette said. "As soon as we close the bidding process, we will hold a special meeting to review the bids and make a decision as soon as possible."
With less then two months left in the summer break, time is running out to get these project completed before school starts.
"We can split this project into three phases," said Gravette. " We can start with the high school project first and work to get as much done before school starts in mid August. The Northside phase can be put off until a time when we have a long break."
After reviewing site maps of all three campuses, the board voted to pursue the projects and will hold a special meeting in late June to update the status of these projects and review the bids received by that time.
The next meeting of the Decatur School Board is scheduled for July 20 at 7 p.m. in the resource room next to the basketball court south of Decatur Middle School. The public is invited.
General News on 06/24/2015