Doug Shepard, the district's chief administrative officer for SPLOST, presented a proposal to the board at its Wednesday meeting to issue a request for proposal for architectural and engineering services in planning to build a replacement Smyrna Elementary School. The proposal would be a one-time waiver of the board's policy of simply appointing district-approved architects to design plans for construction projects.
Shepard laid out the plans for the proposal to the board, saying that it fit several strategic plan goals, including improving communications with a broader base of suppliers.
He also explained that the district still needs to buy land for the school, so design on the project would have to begin after the land was acquired. This process would allow district staff enough time to produce an RFP and obtain bids from architectural agencies.
"This gives me an opportunity to put all of our architects on a level playing field and review their qualifications alongside others who haven't done work for the district," Shepard said.
Although Shepard admitted that it is time consuming to bid out these services, he said he believes that now is the time to re-evaluate and determine the market rate for architectural services.
"But I think we owe it to the taxpayers to try to go out to market," he said.
Chairwoman Lynnda Crowder-Eagle thanked Shepard for the proposal.
"I think it's smart; I think it lets us see what's out there," Crowder-Eagle said.
Although the district did not elaborate much about plans for the Smyrna replacement school, they did say that it would be a high profile and costly project. The replacement school will be a new 61-classroom school in Smyrna, that the district hopes will address many of the over-crowding issues of schools in that area.
District spokesman Jay Dillon said the district has not yet decided on which elementary school the new Smyrna would replace.
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Smyrna's schools rank so low due to it's high level of transient students that cannot pass reading, math & language tests! I really don't care to have MY tax dollars spent on educationg children of illegals! I have a better idea- lets spread them throughout the county,... maybe over to the high ranking East Cobb schools! Then listen for the uproar!!!