By JOYANNA LOVE/Senior Staff Writer

Renovations are at the top of the Chilton County Schools Capital Plan for the next five years.

The plan lists needed projects and estimated years the school system would like to fund and complete each one. Each project is entirely dependent on whether funds are available.

At the top of the list this year are plumbing and restroom renovations in the Verbena High School gymnasium.

CCS Maintenance Supervisor Freddy Smith said work should begin on this project in a few weeks. Smith said about $60,000 has been budgeted for the project.

Restroom renovations at Maplesville High School and the improvements to the rear parking lot at Chilton County High School were also top priorities.

The plan is reviewed on an annual basis to add projects and revise priorities. This year’s plan outlines projects CCS would like to have funded between 2018 and 2022. Smith said the list is a way to prioritize needs and address them as funds become available. The plan is approved by the Board of Education and submitted to the state.

A larger project added this year is a multipurpose facility at Isabella High School. Smith said the school’s booster club had raised around $60,000 or $70,000 for the project, which will be combined with school system funding.

“We are going to have the foundation and the building bid out, and then my department is going to take care of the rest,” Smith said.

This would include electrical, heat and air systems and plumbing. Smith said the department has employees skilled in these areas and it saves money, compared to hiring an outside company.

A similar facility is also in the plan for VHS.

While some projects can be completed with funds projected in the school system’s budget, other projects, such as new school buildings, would require the state to borrow the funds through a bond. New school buildings are proposed for funding for Verbena High School in 2020, Chilton County High School in 2022 and Jemison High School in 2022.

A new VHS is estimated to cost $30 million. New CCHS and JHS buildings are estimated to cost $44 million each.

The capital plan is developed by a committee of community members.

“This year, we probably have the best capital planning committee that we’ve ever had,” Smith said.

This year’s committee included community members Adam Plyer, Casey Carter, Allen Payton, Jason Kelley, Fletcher Green and Richard Moore, Board of Education President Lori Patterson, Vice President Joe Mims, Superintendent Tommy Glasscock and Smith.

Here is a complete list of projects with a potential funding year:

2018 —Renovations:  VHS plumbing in Gymnasium, MHS restrooms, CCHS rear parking lot, IHS restrooms, Thorsby High School parking lot and gym, IHS multipurpose facility.

2019 — Purchase land for parking at IHS.

2020 — New VHS building, CMS multipurpose building (match booster club).

2021— New gymnasium and roof for THS, relocate Board of Education and Central office to a new building on old Adair property, roof for VHS (assuming a new school has not been built).

2022 —New CCHS, VHS field house, new JHS, an additional building for STEM Academy at LeCroy Career Technical Center.