BREAKING GROUND

By GINA KINSLOW
Glasgow Daily Times

GLASGOW April 16, 2008 02:30 pm

— A groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday officially launched the construction of Barren County’s seventh elementary school.
The new school, which has been named North Jackson Elementary, will be built atop a hill near the intersection of North Race Street and US 31E north.
“I continue to be amazed by the growth of the Barren County school system,” said Glasgow Mayor Darrell Pickett. “Somebody is doing something right. I just applaud the Barren County school system for their efforts for continuing to have growth. Barren County is a great school system.”
Judge-Executive Davie Greer added: “We are so fortunate to be from this area and to have such a school system. We thank you all for being part of Barren County.”
Dr. Jerry Ralston, superintendent, attributed the success of the district to former superintendent Charlie Campbell.
It was Campbell, Ralston said, who changed the direction of the district.
“When he became superintendent, he said, ‘Folks, we can be a quality school system. We can grow and we can do a lot of things,’” Ralston said. “He truly changed the direction of the Barren County school system.”
But Campbell says credit is due elsewhere.
“I’d say the board deserves more credit,” he said.
Campbell served as superintendent from 1993 to 2000, and said it was the strategic plan the school board put into place during that time that gave the district the direction it needed.
Talk of a seventh elementary school began during Campbell’s tenure.
“We had talked way back when about doing another elementary school closer to Glasgow for convenience,” he said.
North Jackson Elementary will be large enough for 350 students and will feature 14 regular classrooms, two preschool classrooms, art and science rooms, cafeteria, gym and a computer lab that will be integrated with the media center.
When talk about the school first started, it was going to be large enough for 500 students. The square footage was decreased due to a lack of funding for the project, Ralston said.
A building and grounds permit, recently approved by the school board, listed the initial costs for the project as: $589,398 – site preparation; $33,006 – architect/engineer; $26,405 – construction manager; $25,400 – bond discount; $13,700 – fiscal agent; $29,470 – contingencies or 5 percent; $541,829 – site acquisition; and $10,792 for bank, rating printing and other miscellaneous costs for a total of $1,270,000.
Ralston is expected to name the principal of the school soon.
Since the school does not have a site-based decision-making council, the superintendent will be responsible for hiring the principal.

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.