Estill County board approves middle school design development and BG‑3 budget update

The Estill County Board of Education on Nov. 20 received a design-development presentation for the new Estill County Middle School and approved both the 100 design‑development drawings and a BG‑3 budget update.

The presentation, delivered by the project team, described a central secure administration entrance feeding a hub from which sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade wings radiate. Designers highlighted adjacent library and outdoor learning opportunities, dedicated storm-shelter spaces within each grade pod and separate service platforms intended to make mechanical and electrical systems more accessible for maintenance. The team said the partitions between some classrooms will be operable so rooms like math and science can be combined for collaborative instruction.

Why it matters: Approving the 100 DD (design development) drawings is the board’s second formal design milestone before final documents go to bid. The BG‑3 is an update to the original project budget that keeps the district’s KDE (Kentucky Department of Education) budget filing current during design progress.

Board members asked specifically about safety and durability. The architect and consultant described distributed storm shelters located adjacent to classrooms and explained that occupant loads are calculated net of furniture so the shelter capacity remains sufficient. On partitions and acoustics, a technical consultant said higher‑quality manual paired panels with carpeted faces and ceiling bulkheads are commonly used; electric operators would add roughly $15,000 per unit, the consultant said.

On cost, the presenter summarized the BG‑3 breakout and said the grand total construction cost “currently stands at $49,000,000 and some change.” The board was told the numbers remain close to prior estimates and will be refined in later meetings.

Motion and vote: Board member Sheila Samples moved to approve the 100 DD drawings; Tammy Hardy seconded. The chair called the vote and the motion carried, 5–0. Sharon Whitaker moved to approve the BG‑3 update; Sheila Samples seconded; the board approved the BG‑3, 5–0.

Next steps: Staff will continue meetings to finalize door hardware, kitchen and site details, and prepare full bid documents. The district will also work with the SRO and building operations staff on final security and access-control specifications.