The Gilmer County Board of Education made a round of purchase approvals at April’s regular meeting.
Huff-Mosley Memorial Stadium and the school system’s internet infrastructure are set to receive improvements, Clear Creek Elementary continues to be outfitted, and the board has its eye on a newly available piece of property located near Gilmer High’s campus.
GHS football and soccer fans should notice improved illumination when attending events next season as Huff-Mosley’s lights will be upgraded by Musco at a cost of $243,000. The existing poles will be used, but fixtures will be replaced and LED bulbs will be installed.
The new system will also feature light show capabilities that are often showcased at college stadiums, as well as surrounding high schools.
“Musco is very common throughout the state of Georgia,” superintendent Dr. Shanna Downs said at April’s work session. “It is my understanding that Musco is who installed the original lighting at the football stadium (in 1971) and at the baseball field.
“If you’ve attended games at Fannin or Pickens in the last couple of years, you’ve seen the lights and light show they have.”
The system used a cooperative purchasing agency (CPA) to make the purchase. The CPA is a non-profit organization that makes mass bids on behalf of schools in an effort to leverage purchasing power.
In addition to Musco, the CPA also provided a proposal from Hellas Construction at a cost of $227,000.
“Hellas does come in a little bit cheaper, but I don’t know anyone in the state of Georgia that has it,” Downs said. “We do know about Musco and that our neighbors are very happy with Musco.”
The system’s wireless infrastructure will be upgraded with the aid of the Federal Communication Commission’s E-rate program for schools and libraries.
The E-rate program allows eligible systems to “receive discounts on telecommunications, telecommunication services and internet access, as well as internal connections, managed internal broadband services and basic maintenance of internal connections.”
Ellijay Telephone Company will handle the upgrades at an initial cost of $199,399 before the E-rate discount.
“We have to go ahead and spend the money now, and then in the summer once its installed, we can apply to get 80 percent of that reimbursed,” Downs noted.
Furniture for Clear Creek Elementary School comes in at a cost of $103,579. The purchase will go toward classrooms, teacher desks and front office furniture.
The board approved an offer for a newly available stretch of land at the corner of Legion Road and Old Hwy. 5 that was previously occupied by Georgia Power. The 14-acre tract runs along the Coosawattee River back to the ETC Pavilion.
The transportation center and fueling station currently behind the agriculture barn will be relocated to this property. The system approved the offer pending land inspection and surveying data.
“At this point, we made the offer with contingencies, and we have not had enough time to investigate those contingencies,” Downs said.
“I’m asking the board to approve it for $320,000 so we can more forward with having the inspections.”
The purchase will make way for the performing arts center, which will force the band practice field to be relocated.
“As we look toward this E-SPLOST we have right now, it’s the performing arts center,” Downs said. “The best place to build the performing arts center, according to our architecture firm, is where the band practice field is now.”
“So if we’re able to move transportation off the hill, that would allow us to put the band practice field in that area, which would make the performing arts center right by the high school.”