Board of Education and commissioners join together for new aquatic center

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LUMPKIN COUNTY, Ga. – The Lumpkin Board of Education voted to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the County Commissioners for the building of a new aquatic center on the site of the Lumpkin County Elementary School lot.

The new Lumpkin County Elementary School is currently under construction. The Intergovernmental Agreement or IGA deeds a portion of the land to the county commissioners to build a new indoor aquatic center. This center will be open to the public and used for a Lumpkin County swim team.

The school system owns 28.835 acres on the lot and the county will receive 7.4305 acres for the aquatic center. Additionally, the commissioners will be responsible for paving the roads and parking lots on site.

The two governing bodies entered into an IGA on October 30, 2020, for joint development. The new IGA involves the construction and use of roads and parking lots. The total cost to the county for their side of the project is $1,776,102.00.

Cite plan for Lumpkin County Elementary and the new Aquatic Center. The solid lines represent the proposed area for the center.

The commissioners are expected to vote on this new IGA at their meeting on September 21. There will be a public hearing set at 5:15 p.m. that day over different matters, followed by a work session at 5:30 p.m. The regular meeting will take place at 6:00 p.m.

TAN NOTE

The board also adopted a Tax Anticipation Note or TAN with Truist Bank for $3,000,000.00. This comes with an interest rate of 1.38%. The TAN is to help Lumpkin County Schools until taxes are collected.

 

 

“We don’t have our local earnings yet for the year, Tax notices don’t go out until November and are not due until the middle of December,” explained Finicanic Director Shannon Christian.

The money will only be used as needed, and the school system will only be responsible for what it uses. The close for the resolution is on September 21. Currently, the district has 1.3 million dollars in the bank, which sounds like a lot, but will not make payroll by itself for the month.

Lastly, the board recognized teachers and staff for the Ideal Indian award. This month the award was given to teachers Amanda Bennett nominated by Kenndy Ledford, Beth Hawk nominated by Betsy Green, and Staci Kiefaber nominated by Molly Denham.

Staci Kiefaber (Left), Amanda Bennett (Middle), and Beth Hawk (Right) accepting their Ideal Indian Awards.

The staff that was award the Ideal Indian was the School Nurses and they were nominated by Kerri Whitmire. The nurse includes Rosa Grizzle, Ursula Luesing, Scott Mildenhall, Anna Roberts, and Cami McCarty.

“Our school nurses have been tried and tested since the first day of school, in addition to doing all the things school nurses do each day they’ve also been our go-to person at each school for COVID. This added challenge has only extenuated their capacity to perform at such a high level and a desire to serve others,” commented School Superintend Dr. Rob Brown.

 

The board presented one final award of the night the 2021 Yale Educator award to guidance counselor Alan Hogan and teacher Johnathan Mullins. This award was given due to these two making it possible for Lumpkin County students to make it into Ivy League schools.

Ursula Luesing (Left), Rosa Grizzle, Cami McCarty, Scott Mildenhall, and Anna Roberts(Right) accepting their Ideal Indian Awards.

 

Alan Hogan (Left) and Johnathan Mullins (Right) accepting 2021 Yale Educator Award.

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