District buys only 33.5 acres for middle school

Board member sought, were denied public hearings

Posted 9/25/19

District 1 will buy 33.5 of 60 acres initially sought for Lexington Middle School.

Trustees approved the administration’s request to buy the land for $1,594,575 or $47,500 an acre.

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District buys only 33.5 acres for middle school

Board member sought, were denied public hearings

Posted

District 1 will buy 33.5 of 60 acres initially sought for Lexington Middle School.
Trustees approved the administration’s request to buy the land for $1,594,575 or $47,500 an acre.
The site chosen has met criticism from commuters and County Councilman Darrell Hudson. It faces congested Old Cherokee Road, an unofficial bypass around the downtown.
The district wants to close the middle school on another congested downtown road, North Lake Drive.
Trustee Jada Garris made a motion to table the discussion until next month for “a public hearing and community meetings because it’s the trustees’ job to keep the citizens informed.
“The motion died, along with the illusion of transparency the district and board have fought hard to make us believe exists in this new land-purchasing process.
“The board has not been provided a single document from any of the due diligence,” she said.
“They continue to blindly vote yes to every motion brought before them.”
District 1 spokesperson Mary Beth Hill said a prototype design will be used based on Beechwood Middle School to save time in design, allow contractors to begin work earlier, reduce inflationary costs and fewer costly change orders.
“The relocation of Lexington Middle School ensures that students will be under one roof and not in multiple buildings, a safer campus, and will provide adequate stacking for student drop-off and pick-up,” Hill said.
Garris said she was not convinced this is the only suitable property, “but what I do know is that it’s the board’s job to hold the district accountable, ask tough questions, and verify the information that is supposed to be provided to us.  That’s not being done.  
“There’s just a bunch of cake eating and Kool-Aid drinking going on at the taxpayers’ expense.”

district 1, public hearing, board

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