Carroll County board approves capital outlay application to seek state funds for multiple school projects

The Carroll County Board of Education on Tuesday approved a capital outlay application that will make the district eligible to receive state funding for a series of school construction and renovation projects, Superintendent Scott Cowher told the board during the September work session.

The move places the district “in line to receive this money” for projects that include classroom additions and renovations, Cowher said. He told the board the district’s recent growth and attendance-line changes made it eligible for higher state allocations than it has received in recent cycles.

Why it matters: matching state capital outlay with Carroll County’s SPLOST (special purpose local option sales tax) projects can stretch local dollars and allow larger projects — including new classrooms — that the district previously could not fund with state-only renovation allocations.

The approved application lists multiple schools and preliminary state award estimates presented to the board: nearly $1.2 million for Whitesburg Elementary School; more than $700,000 for Temple Elementary School; more than $400,000 for Providence Elementary School; about $1.3 million for Temple High School; nearly $900,000 for Villa Rica High School; and smaller amounts for Gladden Hinesman. Officials also asked to pursue more than $400,000 in state funding for Mount Zion Middle School and a similar amount for Temple Middle School.

Superintendent Scott Cowher told the board the district will pair any state capital outlay with SPLOST funding when possible to expand project scope. “Because of our growth, and because of our attendance line changes, we are finally eligible for a little bit more state money than we have been,” Cowher said.

Facilities director Glenn Harding reviewed project timing and next steps: opening bids for Mount Zion are scheduled for Sept. 30 and for Temple Middle School on Oct. 9, with project approvals to be brought to the board at its Oct. 20 meeting. Harding said some completed work at Mount Zion High School — including a new gym and a band room — is already in use or will be used by spring athletics and band.

Board action: The board’s business item asked members to approve the district’s capital outlay application so the district could pursue the state awards. Dr. Brooks made the motion to approve the application; the motion was seconded and the board voted unanimously to approve it.

Discussion vs. decision: Board discussion focused on eligibility for state funds, pairing state awards with SPLOST to expand projects, and bid timelines. The formal decision recorded at the work session was only to approve the filing of the capital outlay application; specific contractor awards and project contracts will return to the board for approval after bidding.

Clarifying details and next steps: Harding said the Mount Zion gym and band room work is substantially complete and students should begin using the gym by the middle or end of the week; outdoor field irrigation and sod were recently installed and likely will be used in the spring. He also said the district expects to present bid-award items to the board at the October session. Cowher and staff emphasized the capital outlay request comes from the district’s facilities master plan and that pairing state awards with SPLOST remains a primary funding strategy.

The board chair closed the item after the unanimous vote; no executive session was requested later in the meeting regarding the item.