T.A. Dugger Junior High School is celebrating its 75th year of operation, and the Elizabethton City Board of Education is ready to see it grow for the coming years.
Members of the BOE will meet during their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 6:30 p.m. with a variety of topics on the agenda.
One of the items includes a resolution by the BOE to pledge support for renovations of T.A. Dugger.
The system made a proposal to the City Council during October’s meeting, which included a two-story, eight-classroom expansion of the school building. During October’s meeting, the price tag of renovations were projected between $3.5 to 4 million, according to Director of Schools Dr. Corey Gardenhour. The director added city residents would not see an increase of property taxes due to the school system looking at a financial plan aimed at leveraging the half-cent sales tax that was voted in back during the Ed Alexander-era within the BOE.
During Thursday’s recent City Council meeting, Gardenhour added that discussions have been underway with the bond to prepare refinancing.
The renovations would include new restroom facilities, STEM classrooms, and handicapped accessibility.
Along with serving the needs of the more than 700 people that are in the facility daily, the school system stated in the resolution that T.A. Dugger “needs to have the campus restored to be aesthetically beautiful, which is intrinsic to the community.”
The City Council is expected to revisit the school system’s proposal during the December 8 meeting at City Hall.
BOE members will look at approving a property purchase Tuesday in the amount of $85,000 for land adjoining Harold McCormick Elementary School – to be executed by the BOE’s executive committee.
Along with the property near Harold McCormick, officials will vote on a property license agreement between the school system and Georgetta Robinson to use unoccupied residential property located at 811 Watauga Ave. The agreement will allow the system to use a portion of the owner’s property for additional parking for any individuals conducting business at the BOE’s office.
Other items on the agenda for Tuesday include:
• Ratify approval of an emergency purchase order issued to TRANE for repairs to eight gas-electric rooftop units.
• Approval of SaaS hosted software license agreement and business association agreement.
• Recognition of the Elizabethton High School girls and boys golf teams by coaches John Hutchins and Kenny Hardin.