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By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

The Chilton County Board of Education approved the Capital Plan during a meeting on Aug. 20.

The plan lists maintenance and construction projects that the school system hopes to complete in the next five years.

Included in the plan as long-term projects are building additional classrooms at Chilton County High School ($250,000), Clanton Intermediate ($250,000) and Isabella High School ($250,000).

A new band room for Jemison High School ($200,000) and an addition to the Thorsby Agricultural Department ($150,000) were also included.

What year these projects may be completed is undetermined at this time.

Having new, larger bathrooms for the automotive and auto body shop classes at LeCroy Career Technical Center ($75,000) is on the list as a project for a future school year.

Maintenance Supervisor Freddie Smith said discussion for this project began when more female students enrolled in the programs.

Smith said building new bathrooms for both the male and female students was the best option.

When the project will be bid has not been established. Smith said the project will likely not be completed this school year.

This year’s plan focused on fewer projects, many of which have already been started.

Some of the projects are being funded using a part of the $2 million awarded to the school system from the state when revenues exceeded projections.

These include a new roof for Verbena High School, paving the front parking lots for Chilton County High, Jemison High and Middle schools.

The Verbena roof project will replace the nylon-reinforced rubber membrane (TPO roof) and insulation on all of the flat roof areas.

Smith said he hopes to have bid requests sent out on this project in the next few weeks.

He said the roof had been patched to address leaks, but the patches will not last as long as a replacement would.

“My guys have done a really good job of patching that roof and right now there aren’t really any leaks to speak of, but that will change in the future,” Smith said. “The sad thing about patching is it doesn’t last.”

He said the replacement TPO roof should last 25 years. This project is anticipated to cost $100,000.

Paving the CCHS parking lot is estimated to cost $300,000. Smith said this project would also potentially include paving to the football practice field and the road to the softball field.

“It all depends on how much money we have,” Smith said.

The Jemison paving project would include the front parking lot and the road behind the school.

“I’m going to put as an alternate on it maybe some extra parking in the back,” Smith said.

He hopes to have both the paving projects bid out in the next few weeks.

Work on the VHS multipurpose building began on Aug. 21. The bid was approved for $350,000. The CCS maintenance department is working on this project as well as the CMS multipurpose building ($350,000) as a way to save the school system money. Work has begun on the CMS building as well.

Both buildings are expected to take another four to five months to complete.

Both schools contributed funds to the project.

Although the VHS bleachers ($250,000) have been replaced, a final inspection has not taken place, so it was left on the list for this year.