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During Thursday night’s meeting, the Troup County School Board approved a waterline extension for the new Rosemont Elementary School and approved paying for the upcoming E-SPLOST election.

Both items were discussed at Tuesday’s work session and passed unanimously Thursday with little discussion.

For the Rosemont Elementary waterline extension, the Troup County School System will pay $500,000 in an intergovernmental agreement with the city of LaGrange and Troup County. Superintendent Brian Shumate said it’s estimated that the project will cost around $2 million overall.

Shumate said the project is expected to be completed approximately two years from this Spring, due to the bid process and an estimated 18 months for construction.

The new Rosemont school proposal is one of the projects covered as part of the upcoming E-SPLOST vote. 

It has the highest price tag of any of the E-SPLOST projects at a price tag of $20 million. 

As part of Thursday’s meeting, the board also approved paying for the upcoming E-SPLOST election at an estimated cost of $53,800. 

The E-SPLOST vote is the only item on the ballot, and Shumate noted that the county has recently had to foot the bill for recounts and the special U.S. Senate run-off. The projected costs are $40,000 for poll workers, $2,200 for truck rental, $1,500 for overtime fees, $5,000 for printing ballots, $1,000 for office supplies, $600 for board of election board member fees, $1,000 for postage and $2,500 for advertising. A final cost will not be known unknown until after the election. 

Election Day is March 16 with early voting starting Feb. 22. 

In other action from the meeting, TCSS did the following:

4The board approved the purchase of 300 Chromebooks and 18 staff laptops from Sterling Computers for $99,999.24. The purchase of Chromebooks will allow for an adequate supply for new students, as well as allowing for loaners while Chromebooks are being repaired.

4The board had the first reading of a board policy change that would allow for high schools to move to block scheduling next year. The board approved the motion, but a second reading will occur at next month’s board meeting. The policy change is to adjust the wording of policy IED, which currently says that high school students must have a minimum of seven high school class periods. The new wording changes that sentence to say that students in ninth through twelfth grade shall be scheduled for a full academic day.

4The board approved Southern A&E as the architect to design plans for repaving Hollis Hand Elementary and Troup High School.