Southeast Educational Advancement Coalition (SEAC) Update on 2008 School Bond 8/18/08

If you have passed by Southeast High School in the last month, you have seen a lot of construction going on!  The parking lot looks like it is being demolished and there is a lot work being done to the Southeast School Road side of the building.  All of this construction is due to the cafeteria renovations that have been in the works for several years.  The water and sewer issues greatly delayed this project.  There was left over funds on the 2000 Bond and some of that left over funding was allocated for Southeast High School cafeteria renovations; this work has nothing to do with the 2008 Bond.   The parking lot construction that is being done is due to water and sewer needs for the renovated cafeteria; the parking lot will be completed before school starts August 26^th.   The cafeteria renovations are scheduled to be completed by the end of November.   The renovated cafeteria will be able to support twice the capacity of the current cafeteria.   Students will need to be patient until the cafeteria renovations are completed.   The current plan is that a corner of the old cafeteria will be utilized to serve food and part of the auditorium will be utilized for seating students during lunch.  The food will be catered from Southern High School.   This will be a bit challenging for the students but will be well worth it when we finally get the new cafeteria.

Where are we with the 2008 Bond projects?   Guilford County Schools Facilities Department sent out Request for Qualifications for architects and received over 50 responses.  There is an architect selection committee that will review these responses and create a ranked short list.  The ranked short list will be approved by the School Board and at that time architects can be assigned projects.  Alamance Elementary and Southeast High School will be two of the first projects assigned architects.  Southeast Middle School renovations, which are 10^th on the project list, will be designed along with Southeast High School in order to create a cohesive design for the two schools due to the close proximity of the schools.   However, Southeast Middle will still be 10^th on the list for the actual construction phase.  

The GCS Facilities department is looking for and hopes to acquire 30 – 35 acres for the new Southeast Elementary School which is 8^th on the project list.

Each project will have a project team made up of 8-10 individuals that will have decision making authority for their assigned project.   Members of the project team will consist of the architect, project manager, facilities manager, school board member, county commissioner, principle, 1-3 school faculty members, and 1-3 parents.   You should contact your parent representatives with any questions or concerns.  Next month I hope to provide the names of members on each project team.

The 2008 Bond projects are moving forward, I have been told a timeline for the projects is being developed and should be available in the next month or two which I will share as soon as it is available.

Thanks so much for all of your support over the last two years.   The 2008 Bond funds will provide crucially needed facilities for our students in the Southeast area.

Linda Welborn

Southeast Educational Advancement Coalition (SEAC)