Haywood County Schools board renews consulting contract, approves budgets and personnel policies; rehearing appeal fails

At a regularly scheduled Haywood County Schools Board meeting, trustees voted to renew a consulting contract to continue planning for a potential new high school, approved a range of budget amendments and personnel-policy changes, authorized out-of-state cheerleading trips and a kitchen equipment purchase, and declined a requested rehearing of a disciplinary hearing authority decision.

The board approved renewal of a consulting contract with Southern Educational Strategies to continue due-diligence and planning work connected to a proposed 200,000-square-foot high school and related site work. Dr. Mitchell of Southern Educational Strategies told the board the firm has completed surveys and is coordinating environmental, traffic and site studies; he said, "I want to congratulate this board and your staff on what you've accomplished." The firm’s engagement includes next steps that the board was told are likely to stretch into September and beyond as environmental and traffic studies complete and architects and construction managers are selected.

Board members were also briefed on financing steps the district will need to take if it decides to proceed with the property: the consultants advised that USDA financing requires the project to be complete before final USDA loan disbursements and that separate applications may be needed for land acquisition and for construction. The consultants said architects and a construction manager (with substantial…