Fayette County school officials braved the bitter cold on Feb. 20 and participated in a ceremonial groundbreaking on the construction site of the new school bus shop and transportation office.
The facility is an addition to the school system’s warehouse, located at 939 Goza Road, behind Whitewater High School in Fayetteville. Grading and foundation work has already begun and the building is expected to be finished this summer, and occupied before the start of school.
The new location will provide much needed space for parking and servicing buses, and also bus driver training and testing. The current school bus shop and transportation office is located behind the board of education building in downtown Fayetteville.
The board of education approved the $3,100,357 construction bid, submitted by J&R Construction and Development, during a regular board meeting on Sept. 22, 2014. The majority of the cost will be paid out of ESPLOST funds; the remainder will come from bonds already in place.
Fayette County Board of Education Chairman Marion Key and Vice-Chairman Dan Colwell, along with board members Dr. Barry Marchman, Diane Basham, and Leonard Presberg, school system administrators Superintendent Dr. Joseph Barrow, Deputy Superintendent Sam Sweat, Facility Services Director Mike Satterfield, and Dick Spangler of Manley, Spangler, Smith Architects, participated in the ceremonial groundbreaking.
Also on site for the groundbreaking were transportation mechanics Darryl Coleman, Garry Carriker, Scott Wright (assistant fleet supervisor), Joe McElreath, Clint Whitlock, George Davis (fleet supervisor), Tim Brown, and Transportation Director Roxane Owen.
