Updated 12/4/19

The Giles County Board of Education will meet Thursday evening to decide on whether to split the proposed school improvements into two phases and if Giles County High, Bridgeforth and Richland schools should be the focus of the first phase.

During a recent work session, Acting Director of Schools Vickie Beard and County Executive Melissa Greene presented a two-phase proposal to the school board in an effort to move the renovation of Giles County’s schools forward.

Beard and Greene presented the school board with a two-phase split of a project proposed by Energy Savings Group earlier this year.

Phase one included the complete renovation of Giles County High School, HVAC replacement and the removal of overhead pipes at Bridgeforth, the replacement of HVAC at Richland School and district-wide HVAC system controls to help with additional energy savings.

Phase two involves renovations ESG has proposed for all other Giles County schools.

The projected cost of phase one is $10.4 million with approximately $3.15 million in energy savings and $500,000 in maintenance savings.

A representative of ESG told school board members that a decision as to the scope of the work at their Thursday meeting could get the contract approved by February and phase one completed during summer break of 2020.

Greene stressed that the renovation of Giles County’s schools needs to be a community effort as well.

The school board is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. at the Central Office Building.