School System Approves Roof Work Financing

The Stephens County School System moves one step closer to getting bonds in place to help fund repairs to the roof at the old Stephens County High School building.

Last week, the Stephens County Schools Building Authority met and approved terms with South State Bank for a seven-year bond at an interest rate of 2.4 percent.

The bond amount would be for about $1.4 to $1.5 million at this point to cover the roof project.

Stephens County School Superintendent Bryan Dorsey said the project includes roof work and associated necessary demolition work for the roofing at a number of areas at the old high school.

Those include the old gym, the old cafeteria, and the old part where the office and media center used to be, along with the CTAE wing.

Last month, the Stephens County school system approved a bid for the project of $1,336,204.

The next step in the project is to go through the formal legal process of finalizing the bonds, which are officially being taken out by the Stephens County Schools Building Authority.

Dorsey said the plan is to use the debt taken out by the Stephens County Schools Building Authority to reimburse the general fund for the work.

Then, he said if voters renew the one-cent sales tax for education, money from that would pay off the Building Authority debt.

However, Dorsey did say that he feels the general fund can cover the debt even if voters did not vote to renew the sales tax.

According to Dorsey, the plan is to start the roof work once school lets out for students and hopefully have it done by the start of the next school year.