Committee approves moving Dougherty High students to vacant middle school

ALBANY, Ga. — Dougherty High School students will be moved to the vacant Dougherty Middle School for the upcoming school year until Phase II renovations are completed at the high school.

The move, however, depends on approval by the DCSS School Board, whose Building and Grounds Committee on Tuesday voted unanimously to send the request to the Board.

Bids on nearly $25 million project are due on June 11, and system officials estimate the renovations will take 14 to 16 months to complete from the date the Board approves moving the students.

Dougherty Middle became an option earlier this year when the Board closed the school along with Sylvester Road and Magnolia.

In other committee recommendations:

After the Dougherty High work is complete, the next project on tap is the final phase of renovations at Monroe High School. That nearly $30 million project includes work on the cafeteria, a new media center and a massive renovation of the school’s gymnasium.

The committee also voted to send out RFQs (Request for Qualifications) for architectural work on six projects:

• Magnolia Educational Center
• Sylvandale Learning Center
• Turner Elementary Phase II
• Northside Elementary Phase II
• Lake Park Elementary Phase II
• Albany High Phase II

The committee also approved moving a $20 bond request before the full Board. The estimated $11.8 million in SPLOST savings from the three school closures is folded into that $20 million.

All the items must be approved by the full board, which will meet May 29 at the at the school administration building.