West Carroll School Approves Renovation of Primary School

ATWOOD (May 1)—Renovations at the West Carroll Primary School in McLemoresville are set to begin this summer. The Board of Education approved a construction budget of $794,615 during a meeting on May 1.

Preston Caldwell, Director of Schools, announced that the price proposed by Lashlee-Rich, the construction managers, had risen from $556,491 to a new guaranteed maximum price of $794,615, reflecting a $238,124 increase. Caldwell explained that the original estimate did not account for asbestos abatement and noted that the price of steel had increased by 15 percent since the previous semester.

The majority of the planned upgrades will focus on safety improvements, including a new vestibule, as well as new windows and doors.

Board Chairman William Robinson stated that these upgrades are critically needed and emphasized that the total cost is significantly lower than the estimated $30 million required for a new building. He pointed out that both the aging Primary and Elementary schools are in urgent need of safety updates.

Board member Betty Wallace raised concerns about whether the school system had adequate funding for the project. Caldwell reassured the board that there are $6 million in reserves, with $1 million initially earmarked for renovations across all three school sites. A $499,499 renovation bid for the Elementary School in Trezevant was not approved at this meeting.

Mark Wright, maintenance supervisor, mentioned that some of the older interior doors might not need replacement; however, Robinson expressed a preference for completing all planned upgrades rather than mixing old and new materials.

The renovations are expected to be completed during the summer holiday.

Additionally, a remodeling project at the West Carroll Junior/Senior High School was approved at a cost of $44,800. The bid was awarded to Graves and Graves to merge two classrooms into a career lab, funded by the Innovative School Model grant.

The Board approved the purchase of a composter for $25,060 to process food waste. The resulting compost will be added to soil in the FFA greenhouse to grow food for the school cafeteria. A Perkins Reserve Grant will fund the purchase.

The Board also adopted the science textbooks offered by Savvas, which follow a scheduled replacement rotation established by the Tennessee Department of Education.

The West Carroll Student Government, led by Coach Lynsey Doles, completed its first year. The students are working on projects such as a hygiene closet for those in need and a clothes closet where students can shop for free clothing, jackets, shoes, and more. Coach Doles noted that any student arriving at school with dress code violations can select items from the clothes closet as substitutes.

WCHS FFA students were recognized for their achievements at the state convention. FFA teacher Noah Rogers reported that the annual live plant sale was a tremendous success.

Individually, senior Hannah Fowler was recognized as one of the top three students in Tennessee for her Beef Cattle Production Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE). Freshman Carson Cooper was named a top three finalist statewide for his Forage Production SAE. Both were recognized as regional champions in their respective categories.

April Gonzales was granted tenure after five years of service as a special education inclusion teacher at West Carroll Elementary School. Director Caldwell explained that tenure is awarded after five years of teaching, contingent on necessary reviews and performance scores.

Director Caldwell also announced that the starting salary for beginning teachers will be $50,000 for the 2025-26 school year. Furthermore, all teachers and staff are proposed to receive a five percent raise once the budget is approved.

The Board has approved a one-time state grant of $2,000 for each certified teacher for the concluded 2024-25 school year, as part of the state’s Education Freedom Act.
The Board acknowledged the resignations of Adam Dowland, Elziabeth Clark, Kristen McCadams and Colton Pickard.

Graduation is scheduled for May 15 at 7 p.m. at the high school. The next Board meeting will take place on June 5.