Taylor County board approves contracts for Anna Jarvis Elementary and outlines groundbreaking plans

The Taylor County Board of Education voted unanimously to award construction and furnishing contracts for the new Anna Jarvis Elementary School during its March 1 meeting, and Superintendent Dr. Stallings outlined plans for a ceremonial groundbreaking.

Board Chair Mrs. Garvin opened the meeting at 6:00 p.m. and, at the superintendent’s request, the board considered two procurement items related to the Anna Jarvis project. The board approved City Construction Company Inc. as the successful bidder for the general construction and food-service equipment base bid in the amount of $21,925,000 plus alternate proposal No. 1 (a gymnasium expansion) of $650,000, for a total contract amount of $22,575,000. The board also approved Capital Business Interiors for furnishings and equipment in the amount of $1,408,476. Both items were described in the meeting record as funded by SBA funds and Taylor County Schools bond proceeds; the motion passed on a 5-0 voice vote.

A board member asked whether the gym expansion amount was fully covered by the identified funding sources. Dr. Stallings responded that the successful bids “came in significantly less than we anticipated originally,” and confirmed that the funding sources cover the base bid and the $650,000 expansion. He said the expansion reflects a design change—rotating the elementary gym layout to create a larger-capacity space—which he described as a community-driven request that had been raised during earlier planning.

Dr. Stallings used the update period to preview the planned groundbreaking ceremony for Anna Jarvis Elementary, asking board members to arrive promptly at 10:00 a.m. on the scheduled Monday. He said the event will be largely coordinated inside the building to limit students’ time outdoors: guests will gather in the gymnasium for a brief program, move outside briefly for a ceremonial dig and photo opportunity under a pavilion, then return to the library for a reception prepared by the district’s ProStart students. He listed several invited guests, including Mr. Martin (who will present renderings), the state superintendent of schools and the state board of education president, plus multiple former district superintendents and former principals. Dr. Stallings also said parking will be reserved near the pavilion and the ceremony will be livestreamed for students and the community.

The board continued with routine scheduling items and adjourned at 6:13 p.m.

What happens next: the contracts approved at this meeting authorize district staff to proceed with the awarded construction and furnishing procurements; the superintendent and project team will administer the contract work and coordinate the groundbreaking event as described in the update.