County school board OKs plans for Early Learning Center expansion

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Architect Stephen Ward reviews expansion plans for the district’s Early Learning Center on Cardinal Drive.

Friday, June 5, 2015, 1 a.m. — The Nelson County Board of Education chose the final design for its planned expansion of the district’s Early Learning Center at 1200 Cardinal Drive at its working session Tuesday evening.

Architect Stephen Ward, an architect with Studio Kremer Architects, presented the board with a plan that will add additional classrooms for a total of 14 — 10 for preschool and four classrooms for daycare. The plan means the district’s preschool will have room for about 400 children.

The plan also adds 31 additional parking spots. The planned addition will build over the top of an existing gravel road that provides access to the city’s water tower behind the property. Access to the water tower will be available from a bus loop planned as part of the expansion.

Board member Larry Pate reviews documents during Thursday’s working session of the Nelson County Board of Education.

As a cost-saving measure, the plan makes few changes or updates to the existing building. The board’s unanimous approval means the plan will be forwarded to the Kentucky Department of Education for its review.

VEHICLE PURCHASE REVISION. The board was asked to revise its previously approved a plan to purchase six school buses in the coming fiscal year. Chief Operating Officer Tim Hockensmith explained that purchasing four buses instead of six will allow the replacement of four district maintenance trucks.

The decision to purchase the four trucks instead of two new buses will leave a surplus of about $70,000 in the budget. The move will replace some of the district’s oldest vehicles that are increasingly more expensive to maintain. The surplus funds will be set aside for the future purchase of of news buses.

Kim Brown, district director of secondary schools, addresses the board Tuesday night at its working session.

In other action, the board:

— approved the $299.375 budget for the district’s four Family Resource and Youth Service Centers.

— approved a move to combine the college and career readiness job description with that of the director of student support. Board member Diane Berry voted against the move, telling the board she believed the college and career readiness position deserved more than part-time attention.

— held first and second readings on district policy and procedure updates.

NEXT UP. The Nelson County Board of Education meets Tuesday, June 16 at the district’s Central Office on Wildcat Lane.

-30-