Board talks school projects
By Steve Herring
Published in News on November 3, 2016 11:05 AM
Security and the timeline for other schools projects were on the minds of some Wayne County commissioners Tuesday morning following a presentation on the planned new Meadow Lane Elementary School.
Randy Baker and Dr. Jim Watson with Pinnacle Architecture briefed commissioners on conceptual designs for the school during their Tuesday morning meeting
"When the tour was taking place the concern was about safety," Commissioner Ed Cromartie said. "My question -- is there any fencing in the plan?"
Cromartie was referring to a June tour of the school after Meadow Lane surged to the forefront for facilities needs following behind-the-scenes meetings between county and schools officials, representatives of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and others local leaders.
Also, during a May 9 joint meeting of commissioners and the school board, Wayne County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Dunsmore said conditions at the school, including security concerns, have created a perception in the military that the county's schools "are not good."
Concerns were expressed as well that conditions at the school could adversely impact decisions concerning the base's future, including BRAC Commission findings.
Then in June a $28.2 million school facilities plan was approved that included a new Meadow Lane Elementary School.
Perimeter fencing has not been discussed with the school system, but typically there is, Baker said.
"I thought that one of the major concerns was the safety of that site, which is one of the reasons that I thought the site either needed to be drastically refinished or a new site," Cromartie said. "As I look at that (school diagram), unless I am not familiar enough with the site, anyone could drive ride on up to either one of those wings if there is not a fence or some safety that I thought the military was real interested in."
Dunsmore said that the back of the units is where Goldsboro's new multi-sports complex will be built.
"There will be a fence around it," he said.
Cromartie also asked about fencing in front of the school.
"Along the front right now we do not have any plans to put fencing in because it (school) will face the Ash Street side, and there will be a nice driveway coming into it," Dunsmore said.
"The day we did the tour, and I want to follow up on Commissioner Cromartie's comments, (Fourth Fighter Wing Commander) Col. (Mark) Slocum was very adamant about security of the existing Meadow Lane," Commissioner Ray Mayo said. "It looks like to me, unless I am missing something here, that security is not going to be, at this point, any more secure than the existing building.
"I would suggest that with society, and the way things are happening in general, there will come a time when we will have to do something about making our schools 100 percent secure. I am suggesting this may be the time to do it rather than leaving the front of the school open where people can walk in arbitrarily. We may want to address that."
The plan calls for a $21.8 million Meadow Lane Elementary School to be built on the existing campus, and to include a wing to house Edgewood Community Developmental School.
Edgewood, currently located on Peachtree Street, serves developmentally-delayed students.
Other projects in the plan include $4.6 million for 22 additional classrooms at Fremont STARS Elementary School; $3.2 million for a new gym and six classrooms at Southern Wayne High School; and $400,000 to add air conditioning at the Rosewood Middle School gym.
The Southern Wayne gym would be from a plan previously submitted to the school board by the school's Boosters Club.
Cromartie asked Baker to repeat the project timeline.
The school will be ready for the 2018-19 school year, Baker said.
"What timeline are we talking about for Southern Wayne and the others (projects)?" Cromartie said.
"As soon as we break ground on this one, we are starting on the Southern Wayne project," Dunsmore said. "That is obviously not as large a project as this so I would hope that would take a far shorter time frame."