Zachary School Board says low bids allow new project
Print
Email
Save
Reprints
Twitter
Share
Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Reddit
ZACHARY — After bids came in lower than anticipated for four major projects under way in the Zachary Community School District, the School Board voted Thursday to reduce the project budgets to free up money for a high school ninth-grade academy.
The board is building a central office, an early learning center, a double gymnasium building and a performing arts theater, but the lower bids on those projects will allow the board to shift funds to the ninth-grade academy.
In addition to $4.4 million in contingency funds that won’t be needed on the current construction, the board has $5.2 million left over from the $89 million in bond issues approved by voters in three elections.
Board President Scott Swilley said the $9.6 million will be almost enough to build the academy, a two-story structure to be erected on the high school campus.
Swilley said the board also may be able to free up more money from the current construction as it proceeds.
He said the first bids the board received when it began its construction program were much higher than expected, but the recent state of the economy had the effect of lowering construction costs.
Swilley said the building, which is in the design phase, will have 20 classrooms, three computer labs, four science labs and an administrative area to put all ninth-grade instruction in one area of the school.
After the ninth-grade academy is built, the school system “should be in good shape” for space at all its schools, Swilley said.
But a professional demographer also told the board Thursday to expect the district’s enrollment to hit 6,540 students in 2014.
The actual enrollment on Oct. 1 was 4,960.
In 10 years, the enrollment may be just under 8,000 students, said Charles M. Tolbert, owner of Strategic Demographics LLC and a professor at Baylor University.
Tolbert’s enrollment estimates assume a “high growth scenario,” which he said is most likely to occur.
Tolbert will update his projections in the next spring and fall.
 | ||||
| Most Popular | Most Emailed | Hot Topics | ||
