Lexington City Schools discusses plans for future rennovations
Lexington City Schools is looking to the future with concern when it comes to its aging and outdated buildings, but it’s not a new conversation. And with the rising cost in construction and challenging funding opportunities, the school district is asking the public, what are their best options.
On Feb.18 , the Lexington City Schools Buildings and Grounds Committee held a community meeting at Sapona Golf and and Tennis Club where they discussed the results of a recent assessment of its buildings.
The study, which was conducted last year by SfL+a Architects of Raleigh, revealed several structural problems, safety hazards and inadequate capacity, especially at Lexington Senior High School.
It highlighted the need for renovations in several of the six schools, administration and maintenance buildings in the district to address issues like leaking roofs and windows, flooding, asbestos removal, aging mechanical systems, inadequate heating and cooling, and non-ADA compliant features.
Following the presentation by SfL+a outlining the findings of the report, those who attended were asked to discuss in groups what they thought of the conditions of the schools after the presentation, how those conditions impacted students and employees, and what were possible solutions and roadblocks to upgrading the schools, such as funding and population increase.
These responses were written on a questionnaire, which were gathered to be discussed in the future by Lexington City Schools Buildings and Grounds Committee and the board of education.
“This is the perfect opportunity for us to brainstorm and come to the best decision on how to improve our facilities. We want to involve the community, and have some discussions on what is best for our students and employees,” said Dr. Nakia Hardy, superintendent of Lexington City Schools.
In a discussion at the end of the meeting, many people voiced agreement for the need to build a new high school, but with a recent estimate nearing $100 million, the likelihood of being able to get enough funding seems a very high hurdle.
When asked, LCS school board member Lewie Phillips said that capital funding, such as renovations and new buildings, come from Davidson County. And with the demands of the taxpayers and other school districts, there are not a lot of county dollars available for a project of this magnitude.
In August, Lexington City Schools were denied a $62 million need-based grant from the NC Department of Public Instruction to go towards building a new high school, which would require$10 million in matching funds from the county
The school district is currently undergoing a $12 million renovation at Lexington Middle School, which includes major upgrades to the classrooms, new windows and flooring, a new drivewayand parking area, HVAC replacement, redesign of the entrance and administration office spacesand upgrades to the gymnasium.
Superintendent Hardy said school leadership is gathering input from this and future communitymeetings, before coming up with possible suggestions to improve its aging buildings.
More information can be found on the school district website at www.lexcs.org/ or on their socialmedia pages.
