For months, one of the finer points of the construction for the Trigg County Schools Co-Curricular building is the addition a second set of bathrooms with changing capabilities — which would accommodate not just visiting schools, but current and future Wildcats.
During Thursday’s Board of Education meeting, officials approved such an addition at the cost of $174,825 — in what will be a big dip into the district’s contingency funds.
The plumbing will be added to the wrestling/cheerleading side of the building.
Chris Jones, director of the West Kentucky Office for Sherman Carter Barnhart, said the bathrooms had been eliminated at some point during the architectural phase due to cost considerations.
More than $106,000 still remains in contingency funds for the project, but Director of Operations Matt Ladd wanted to make aware of other changes potentially coming.
Ladd said five months ago, this addition cost $10,000 less, and that if the board wanted to make this decision, now would be the time to lock in a price before it jumped any higher.
Board member Charlene Sheehan noted that if they didn’t build them, students would have to walk across the building — likely impeding archery, band practice and other widespread activities that will consistency fill the building.
Board member Clara Beth Hyde called it a “no brainer.”
In other news:
— The board unanimously approved another amendment to the fiscal year 2022-23 salary schedule, adding some assistant coaches to Trigg County Middle School, while improving the stipends associated with Trigg County High School wrestling, volleyball and archery coaches.
Finance Officer Holly Green noted that following the recommendation of Sheehan at the last budget discussion, Superintendent Bill Thorpe created a stipend committee in which these needs were heard. The total stipend increase will cost $6,000 annually.
Green and Sheehan said it would make things more competitive.
— Speaking of budgets, the board also approved its full tentative budget for the next fiscal year, under the advisement of Greene. She called it a “safe, conservative” budget because of three outstanding BG projects and a fourth on the way for the district. General fund revenue is expected to be near $18 million. Fund 2, which includes federal and state grants, should be north of $2.5 million. Four other fund allocations total more than $2.5 million. A master file should be complete by the end of summer.
— With “Camp “CATapult” on the horizon, Director of Curriculum and Instruction Karen Solise said more than 300 have already agreed to the math and reading enrichment program, which runs through June.
Thorpe said he’s already heard some good news about it, from a local guardian with an excited grandson.
This is the second year for the program.
