Friday, October 5, 2007

Area school boards get bond-issue briefing

10-05-2007
The Legislature passed a bond issue this year, and schools expect to receive their share for construction or maintenance in February or March. White Plains will get a new middle school. Photo: Bill Wilson/The Anniston Star

Kippy Tate’s schedule is about to fill up.

Tate, director of the Alabama Building Commission, will help schools, architects and contractors as they begin spending the largest school construction bond issue in the state’s history.

Tate told local school board members and superintendents Thursday night that his office is ready to handle the heavy load.

“We’ve been through bond issues before,” he said of the last one, in 1998. “But this is the largest.”

Tate told the group attending the annual district meeting of the Alabama Association of School Boards that the building commission will handle any disputes that arise as they begin work on projects.

“With all this work going on, it’s going to come up,” he said.

He said the building commission will work as an arbiter and bring all sides together when disputes come up, and he urged officials to call him before problems arise.

The Legislature approved a $1.07 billion bond issue this year. Sally Howell, executive director of AASB, said she expects the state to sell the bonds in December, with money available in February or March.

See the full story, and a list of local construction plans, here.

1 comment:

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