School Board Gets Bids For Colham Ferry Elementary Construction

The Oconee County Board of Education on Monday will be asked to award a $3.1 million contract for the 10-classroom addition to Colham Ferry Elementary School, the first expenditures from the Education Local Option Sales Tax approved by voters in March.

Construction is expected to begin in late summer and be complete for the next school year.

Brock Toole, chief operations officer for Oconee County Schools, presented the recommendation that the contract go to Amacher Bros. Construction Company of Atlanta at the School Board’s work session on Monday.

The Board also reviewed the impact of its decision last month to award a $1 salary increase for bus drivers, school nutrition workers, and maintenance workers.

A study of the salaries showed that Oconee County employees have been lagging behind employees of other area schools, as Board Member Kim Argo had contended when she championed the increase to her colleagues.

The Board also received a recommendation from the school administration that it change its policy for handling citizen comment, removing the requirement that speakers register in advance but shortening the amount of time allowed from five to three minutes.

The Board will be asked to approve that policy on Monday as well.

For more on this story, with a video of the Board of Education meeting, please go to Oconee County Observations.