Community Informed of Rehabilitation Efforts at West Broad Street School
During a recent meeting of the Board of Education, interim Superintendent Jennifer Scott provided an important update concerning the restoration efforts for the West Broad Street School. The school experienced a fire in early October, which was determined to be a result of arson, according to the Athens-Clarke County Fire Department.
In response to the fire and subsequent vandalism concerns, a cleanup effort was approved with a budget of $142,000, as recommended by the fire marshall. This includes essential asbestos abatement, which Dr. Scott confirmed is already in progress. Moreover, plans are in place to trim back several trees that have been causing damage to the roof, allowing for proper tarping of the structure.
Veronica Jackson, a member of the CCSD staff, is currently preparing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to hire a structural engineer. The goal is to have a comprehensive evaluation of the school completed in time for presentation at the upcoming January board meeting.
To maintain transparency and community involvement, Dr. Scott announced a series of public information sessions. The first meetings are scheduled for December 2nd, with one at 10 a.m. and another at 5:30 p.m. Both sessions will be available via livestream and recording. In addition, an online survey will be provided for the public to share their feedback on the project.
Dr. Scott expressed the board’s enthusiasm about moving forward with the rehabilitation, stating the importance of integrating the school into the CCSD family to support district programming needs. The next Board of Education meeting is slated for December 11th.
