New classroom

space to relieve overcrowding at Whitewater Middle School is on the way.

The Fayette

County Board of Education Thursday accepted a $1.6 million construction

bid to get the project underway.

The bid to

build 26,589 square feet of added classroom and planning space was submitted

School facilities

director Mike Satterfield said he expects on-site work to begin as early

as February. According to Satterfield, there were eight bidders for the

project, six coming within $100,000 of the $1.8 million to $1.9 million

range. MEJA's low bid of $1.6 million was the result of good prices submitted

Flat Rock Middle

School's addition, completed this year, was also done by MEJA.

Satterfield

estimated the work will take approximately a year, once the preliminaries

such as blueprints, septic tank work and site clearing are completed.

Plans call

for additions on the three wings of the school. Each section will house

five regular classrooms, one science classroom and one teacher planning

room.

The project

is being paid for with state growth funds totaling about $4 million for

additions to three middle schools, including Whitewater. The local share

should be less than originally expected because additional money has been

reallocated by the legislature, Satterfield noted.

Initial drawings

for Fayette Middle School's addition are expected within two to three

weeks, Satterfield said, with J.C. Booth's addition plans expected four

weeks later.

Sewer line

improvements made by the city of Fayetteville may result in some disturbed

pavement at East Fayette Elementary during the winter break. Apparently,

the line laid in the 1950s has been the cause of some sewage backups due

to its configuration and encroaching tree roots.