Local & State Headlines

Lee school expanding

• As its ninth-graders prepare to move to a new campus, Lee County adds on to its high school.

Susan McCord

LEESBURG — School officials moved forward with a $2.6 million expansion at Lee County High School during a called meeting Friday.

WCCI Inc. of Columbus was the low bidder hired by the Lee County Board of Education Friday to construct a 20,000-square-foot band and auxiliary room addition at the high school.

The project, which includes an elevator to transport equipment to a storage mezzanine, is expected to take a year, architect Greg Smith of Albany’s James W. Buckley and Associates said.

“Mr. Carter, do you still want to do this?” Superintendent Larry Walters asked before board members voted to award the bid.

The expansion is desperately needed for the high school’s jazz and marching bands, whose 120 members currently practice in a much smaller space, Band Director Hank Carter said after the meeting.

The system is preparing to issue approximately $7 million in bonds to fund the band addition and remodeling at the former Twin Oaks Elementary School, which will be converted into the LCHS Ninth Grade Campus, Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance Gary Kelley said.

Ninth-graders will attend the new campus instead of Lee High School this fall.

A first reading on the bond issue will be held at the board’s May 12 meeting, Walters said.

Four classroom wings will be remodeled during the summer months to accommodate the approximately 500 ninth-graders who will occupy the new campus, Smith said.

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