School system seeks input on plans for future construction, renovation
Maintaining Jones County school buildings that are in use is enough of a job, but it is only the beginning when thinking about all the facilities owned by the school system.
Those issues were part of the discussion at a Sept. 14 work session that started by looking at maintaining older buildings no longer used for educating students and proceeded to the flip side of that coin: what will Jones County students need in the future?
School Superintendent Dr. Jessica Graves called last Monday’s work session to order and began with pictures of the old Jones County High School gym that was once the center of community events like the Heart Ball as well as a sports venue. JCSS Maintenance Director Joe Evans recalled that was the room where he joined the Army on a career day.
“It involves all of Jones County,” he said.
Graves pointed out the building is in very bad condition and even unsafe but once held meaning in the community.
“I wonder about that last person to walk out and close the door to maintaining the building,” she said.
The superintendent asked each one of the estimated 75 interested people who came to the meeting to open their minds to a forward vision.
Graves pointed out the former football field property, Turnerwoods Field, the Maggie Califf Campus and Central Office buildings are costly to maintain at a price tag of $350,000 a year, just to keep them as they are.
The Maggie Califf Campus annual cost alone is $40,415, including building maintenance, custodial, lawncare, power and water costs. That figure includes over $9,000 each year for insurance on the buildings and property.
Facilities plan
Assistant Superintendent of Operations and Efficiency Dennis Woolfolk talked about proposed E-SPLOST projects that are all part of a five-year plan for the district.
The first involves the Jones County Pre-K building. He said the former Gray Elementary School building was constructed in 1965 and has served the county well.
“But it is time to move those students out of the outdated facility,” he said.
The plan is to move Pre-K classrooms to each of the elementary schools. The cost to upgrade the school to accommodate the new students is estimated at $2.1 million. With 300 Pre-K students, each school can expect approximately 75.
The concept drawing shows that would equate to having four classrooms of Pre-K students per school. The idea is to improve continuity as students progress through the school system and make more efficient use of district facilities.
“This is definitely bittersweet,” Woolfolk added.
The anticipated timeline for the Pre-K project begins during summer break 2027, with Pre-K students starting school at elementary campuses in August 2027.
Woolfolk and Evans alternated in presenting the remaining plans. Evans said the renovation of Dames Ferry Elementary was finished, and the same progress is expected for Clifton Ridge Middle School. The estimated cost of that project is $14.3 million.
The renovation of Mattie Wells Elementary is also on the list for renovation at an estimated cost of $14.6 million.
Woolfolk said the top priority for a new high school baseball/softball complex is ADA concerns. One possibility for the new complex would be the current location of the Pre-K building that would be demolished. That complex would include baseball, softball fields and a new multipurpose track and field and wrestling building.
A multipurpose athletic and fine arts building is a component of the plan. The cost of all three of those phases is $26.8 million. A caveat to that plan is it would solve the current problem at the expense of a long-term master plan.
The big picture proposal is a new high school baseball/softball athletic complex on the 113-acre property owned by the JCSS on Howard Robert Road. Evans said the issue for those fields now is they are land locked.
The plans for the new baseball and softball fields do not include moving the football stadium. It will remain in its current location. Other components that will remain in their same location are the bus shop, bus lot, and IT department.
That Howard Roberts Road property is currently used by cross-country teams and is considered to be where a future new Jones County High School would be constructed. If the ball fields are moved to that site, the Pre-K building would be a temporary transition site for the Central Office. The buildings that are left vacant could possibly be sold.
Several versions of these plans were presented before attendees were divided into four groups to discuss their opinions of the projects. Each of the groups were led by a member of the Jones County Board of Education.
Group discussions
With the entire work session limited to an hour due to the scheduled 6 p.m. board meeting, the discussions were brief. One of the comments at the beginning of one of the meetings was excitement to see JCSS being proactive.
There was both excitement and concerns about a new location of the ball fields and moving Pre-K.
The idea of adding more practice fields was discussed as was the logistics of having the fields in a location away from the high school. It was also noted that utilizing the separate location had the potential of economic development in that area.
Another comment was the projects making room for a larger alternative school.
At the conclusion of the work session, Graves said the information would be compiled and a survey created for input from more people interested in the projects. The superintendent said the culmination of all that information will be presented at the Oct. 13 board meeting.
