PRC school board gets good news on buildings and bonds

The Pearl River County School District received some good news during their Monday meeting on two major issues related to their move toward new facilities.

Mr. T.J. Burleson, Business Manager for the district, stated that Warren Bowen, who along with his firm, Triage Facility Consultants LLC, has been working with the school district for the past year assessing the school’s current facilities and for the new construction, advised the board of the current situation on demolition.

Bowen said the district is awaiting final approval from the Historic Preservation Division of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to be able to begin demolition of old upper elementary administration building and removal of three trailers at the lower elementary. Bowen is scheduled to meet with the MDAH this week to get the final approval. Burleson said the plan calls for the demolition and removal of the trailers to be completed by August 3rd, just in time before school starts.

Burleson said the district received the initial designs from Landry, Lewis, & Germany architects for the Carriere campus and the designs from EGH for the McNeill campus will be ready in the middle of August. Burleson said that he is hopeful the district will be able to advertise for bids in October and make awards for contracts in November, provided there are no unforeseen changes in schedules.

Warren Greenlee, who serves as a bond counsel for various school districts for Young Law Group, gave the board an update on the sale of their bonds. Gr