Barrow Journal

The Barrow County Board of Education, Tuesday night, hired Charles Black Construction to be construction manager for the new high school adjacent to Sims Academy and Grahl Construction to oversee renovations are Yargo Elementary School, Westside Middle School and Apalachee High School.
The two firms will meet with school officials, the architect and engineer to develop the plans.
Grading for the new high school is expected to begin this winter. The renovations will not be started until school is out. Those are expected to take two or three years.

SCHOOL CALENDAR
The school board also approved the calendar for the 2019-2020 year, “essentially the same” as it has been for the past few years. Superintendent Chris McMichael recommended the version that was approved.
Classes will start Aug. 1. It will include a full week for fall break in October and at Thanksgiving. The calendar will not have a week off in February, but it will include a spring break in early April.
Graduations will be May 21-22.
The board unanimously adopted the calendar. The district asked for comments about three potential calendars and the one closest to the current schedule got the most support.
Board member Michael Shelley had asked that the item be a separate vote on the agenda — instead of being part of the consent agenda – but he voted in favor of it.
He said he had talked with some parents and teachers and they favored the option McMichael recommended. Shelley said he still believes the board should make the decision, but he also said getting views of parents and staff were worthwhile.
Board member Rickey Bailey said he believes the spring break should be near where it is in the calendar — the first full week of April. He said the week off has been “sort of all over the place” in the past few years.
McMichael noted the state-required standardized testing “plays a huge role” in the spring schedule.
For more on Tuesday's meeting, see the Nov. 14 edition of the Barrow News-Journal.