Project architect Sam Moser told Sweetwater Board of Education members Monday night the final tweaks have been made on the drawings for the state fire marshal.

"We are good to go," he said. 

Moser expects to advertise for bids soon with a bid opening targeted for Nov. 5.

Moser said some recent construction projects in East Tennessee have drawn a large number of bids.
"I am hearing some good things, but you never know," he said.

City school system officials hope lots of bidders will mean lower prices.

A lower bid price could mean the school system would get to build the larger of two proposed additions.

Moser has drafted a four-classroom, 510-seat auditorium addition bid along with an alternate bid for a six-classroom, 510-seat building to replace the 83-year-old Ivins Building, which will be torn down before construction begins.

Director of Schools Dr. Keith Hickey said the school system has about $3 million in its bond fund to build the new wing.

Moser has projected the larger wing (17,944 square feet) could cost around $3.3 million with the smaller addition (15,336 square feet) projected at a $2.8 million price tag.

During Monday's October School Board meeting, Sweetwater Elementary School (SES) Principal Diana Howard gave a state-of-the-school report.

She cited some of the many accomplishments at the school, including:
• SES is in good standing with No Child Left Behind Act requirements
• Teacher Traci Kile was awarded Sweetwater City School System's Monroe County Chamber of Commerce Teacher of the Year Award
• Steve Riddle received Yale Distinguished Music Teacher Award
• Laurie Heffron named SES Teacher of the Year
• Laura Watson named Little Tennessee Valley Educational Cooperative Outstanding Educator
• SES named 4-H School of the Year for Monroe County
• Hispanic students made major improvements in math and reading/language arts

Howard praised her staff and the parental involvement at the school.

"It's a fantastic place to be," she said of the school that serves third and fourth grade and has one preschool.

In other business, board members Dr. John Fox, Letha Oggs, Bennie Moser, Janie Dacus and Chairman Richard Rowe agreed to donate $2,000 to the City of Sweetwater to help pay for an $8,000 project to improve the walking track at the Sweetwater Recreation Park.

Students use the track in a variety of ways, Hickey said.

The board agreed to hire two part-time math intervention teachers, one at SES and one at Brown Intermediate School.

Supervisor of Instruction Dr. Larry Stein said the school system would budget up to $49,000 for the two new teachers this year, but he said because the school year is two months old, their salary probably won't hit that total.

tommy.millsaps@advocateanddemocrat. com | 337-7101