Coffee County board approves $750,000 for high-school security upgrades

The Coffee County Board of Education voted to award a contract and shift funds to pay for security improvements at Coffee County High School, approving a $750,000 package that covers a $653,910 construction bid plus contingency and testing fees.

District facilities staff told the board the project, which targets an older open-classroom portion of the 1975–76 main building, will add lockable classroom doors, reconfigure circulation paths, and require changes to mechanical, sprinkler and fire-alarm systems so egress and safety comply with current standards. Director of facilities reported the plan has been reviewed and accepted by the state fire marshal and that the project came in under the district’s initial budget estimates. “We went through a pretty rigorous design…and this project actually came in under the budget that we forecasted initially,” the director said.

Board members heard that the single bid came from a company identified in the packet; the recommended contract includes a 5% construction contingency and funds for special inspections and permitting. Staff said the contractor is prepared to begin preconstruction work immediately but that in‑building construction would take place when students are out of the building to minimize disruption and would be completed before classes resume. The district also negotiated inclusion of an emergency backup generator for safety systems as part of the package.

Funding for the work will come from the district’s fund balance and requires a budget amendment that the board approved later in the meeting to transfer $750,000 into capital outlay. Board members discussed alternatives and asked staff to keep the board apprised of schedule and change orders as construction proceeds.

The board approved the contract and the related budget amendment by recorded vote.