Architect shares vision for campus
Murphy – “You either need to say, ‘Yes we want the $50 (million),’ or ‘No we don’t.’ ”
In almost any other county across the nation, that might not be anything more than a rhetorical question posed by LS3P architect Paul Boney. In Cherokee County, however, it’s poised to remain a point of great uncertainty until sometime after four newly elected school board members take their seats on Dec. 8.
The Cherokee County Board of Education voted 4-2 on Thursday to authorize LS3P to move forward with crafting design documents for a new consolidated high school planned for Peachtree. The cost of this phase of the project is $1,865,242 and will be paid out of the $50 million grant Cherokee County Schools recently received from the state.
Board attorney Dean Shatley said members should operate as if they will have to refund the money to the state if they choose not to move forward with a consolidated high school.
“I think you would have to assume that you spend part of the $50 million on anything, whether it be architect fees or beginning site work, and a new school board comes along and stops doing it altogether, I think you’re going to have to reimburse it,” he said.
The board can cancel the directive given to LS3P at any time.
According to documents provided by LS3P, the project cost, as of now, clocks in at $49,691,958 for design and construction. However, that figure does not include the cost of a complete set of athletic
fields. Those features would add a minimum of $11.5 million, according to the firm.
Members of LS3P also said it might not be possible to fit all of the school’s athletic facilities – a football stadium with a track, baseball field, etc. – onto the current site.
“This is a county school for three high schools,” board member James Ellis said.
“If we go to school there, but we play at David Gentry Field (at Murphy High School), then we just built Murphy High School a new high school, that’s just the reality of it.”
In some ways, Thursday night’s discourse resembled the national debate surrounding decisions to replace a Supreme Court justice during an election year. Those in power want to continue making decisions until their terms end, while those in the minority seek to delay the decision and see if the balance of power shifts their way.
Ellis, who strongly opposes consolidation, said he believes it should have been left up to the new board to decide whether or not to move forward with more design plans for the proposed high school. Earlier in the meeting, he stated he believes he will be part of a new, anti-consolidation majority on the next board.
“For my board members, I want you to understand that the next possible board could possibly kill this completely in two months,” Ellis said. “ ... So, if you throw this money away, it’s on you, it’s not on me.”
“I respectfully disagree,” board member Jeff Tatham said. “Because if we are voting on a plan that’s been approved, then it’s not this board that would be throwing the money away, it would be the board that changes direction after we’ve spent money.”
Tatham initially voted against the move, causing a 3-3 split in the vote. He later clarified that he was only against authorizing it at that moment because vice chair Jeff Martin called for a vote before he was finished asking questions of the architect firm, and he asked to vote again.
Tatham, Martin, Joey Shore and board Chair Arnold Mathews voted in favor of moving forward with LS3P, while Ellis and Joe Wood voted against the motion.
LS3P is expected to present more information, including more detailed costs related to athletic fields and facilities, during the November board meeting.