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Cost keeps rising for school projects
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The cost for projects at Bobby Ray and West Elementary could be closer to $6 million.

“We are thinking the overall project costs will be $5,966,400,” said Upland Design Group architect Allen Hill to members of the county Education Committee. “That’s our base bid cost estimate right now.”

During December’s Warren County School Board meeting, an estimated cost of $5.4 million was given. Hill explained $5.4 million was an estimate on actual construction costs, while $5.9 million includes that and items such as geotechnical investigation, fire marshal review fees, and contingency for unknown expenses.

“Bobby Ray is scheduled to do first,” said Hill. “West will follow a few months later. There will be some overlap as construction at West will begin before Bobby Ray is complete.”

“Why did you decide to go with Bobby Ray first and not West?” asked Commissioner Diane Starkey.
Hill said the main reason is logistics in that West’s project will require interior renovation of the building that cannot be done while school is in session, but the connector building at Bobby Ray Elementary can be.

“That was the main reason, just logistics of construction,” he said. “Another reason Bobby Ray is tracking a little bit ahead of the West project is that it’s easier to define. There are more unknowns at West. For example, there are some concerns about existing sewer pipes underneath the floor at West. The hall at West is terrazzo, which is great material that has held up well. Boy, I hate to go in and cut that and trench in order to put in new piping. We are looking at a way to run a new sewer line on the backside of the building so we won’t have to do that.”

Bobby Ray’s overall project estimate is between $2.6 and $2.9 million.

Hill said consideration is still being given to using the lower level of building A at Bobby Ray, what is now its main entrance, exclusively for pre-K.

An elevator at Bobby Ray is among construction alternates. Cost estimate is $150,000 to $200,000.
“About $80,000 to $90,000 is the elevator itself,” said Hill. “The rest is the enclosure around it and doing modifications in the existing building to be able to get to the elevator.”

Hill also offered a summary of the West Elementary project that was similar to the one given in December with expansion of the gymnasium, renovation of existing bathrooms, reconfiguring existing space, and additional classrooms. 

Hill anticipates the first project would go out for bids approximately May 1. The second project would be out for bids approximately Sept. 1.

Firm numbers on construction costs will be unknown until bids are received.

Local farm partnership brings fresh beef to Warren County Schools
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Warren County Schools has beefed up lunch menus this school year through a new community partnership. Thanks to a collaboration between the district’s School Nutrition Department and Barton Creek Farms, students at Warren County High School, Warren County Middle School, West Elementary, Eastside Elementary, and Dibrell Elementary are enjoying locally sourced, farm-fresh beef in their lunches as part of a pilot program.

The initiative, spearheaded by Terri Mullican, Director of School Nutrition, has already shown great promise in its first few months. The partnership with Barton Creek Farms, located in Rock Island, Tennessee, ensures that the beef served is not only local to Warren County but of the highest quality. Barton Creek Farms specializes in farm-to-fork beef, with grass-fed and grain-finished cattle. Each calf is born and raised in Rock Island and goes through USDA-inspected processing, ensuring it meets the strictest safety and quality standards.

“When the opportunity arose to provide fresh, local beef, we knew it was a no-brainer,” Mullican said. “The fact that it’s a product from right here in our community makes it even more special. We can’t wait to implement it district-wide.”

Barton Creek Farms delivers fresh ground beef to the district monthly, and the nutrition

department incorporates it into homemade recipes such as lasagna, meatloaf, chili, and tacos.

As of now, the beef is being served at five schools, but the ultimate goal is to expand the program to all ten lunch-serving schools in the district.

The pilot program originated from a conversation between Mary Roller of Barton Creek Farms and Mullican. Roller, recognizing the farm’s potential to support local schools, reached out to gauge the district’s interest in serving local beef to students. Around the same time, a Warren County school board member contacted Mullican to share information about a similar partnership in neighboring Dekalb County, which helped push the initiative forward.

The timing worked in the district’s favor, as the nutrition department was able to fund the purchase of the beef using existing resources, eliminating the need for additional funding. Now that the pilot program is enjoying a successful run, the department has budgeted to extend the partnership district-wide for the 2025-26 school year.

Dr. Grant Swallows, Director of Schools, praised the program’s economic approach to student nutrition.

“This pilot is a perfect example of how we can use local resources to continue providing nutritious, healthy meals for our students,” he said. “We are grateful for partnerships like this one that benefit both our students and our local community. We always strive to support our local businesses when we can because our community is so good to us.”

In addition to working with Warren County Schools, Barton Creek Farms also partners with local restaurants to offer farm-fresh beef on their menus. The farm’s offerings include ground beef, steaks, roasts, and custom cuts by the quarter, half, or whole cow, meeting diverse consumer needs.

As the program continues to grow, the district hopes to expand its focus on farm-to-school meals, benefiting students’ health and connecting them to the agricultural roots of the community