GCS 'Building Futures' Construction Update
Up Close With Donna Bell - Director of Facilities and Planning
Being the Director of Facilities and Planning encompasses a lot of duties. Donna Bell has her hands in projects across the district, and one look at her desk proves it. Neatly organized – to her at least – among the piles of folders and rolled-up plans on her desk, is all the information Bell oversees – the information to make the student projections for next year. Those student projections, based on historical information within the county, are shared throughout the district so that representatives of student assignment, financial allotment, human resources, the transportation department and school principals can all make the appropriate accommodations.
That’s not all Bell does. She leads a team effort with Noah Tiluk, the district’s demographer, Barbara Williams, the catch-all office support who keeps the team running on all cylinders, Erik Hoekstra, who lends his contracted services, and another program administrator who is coming on board in mid-June. Together, they acquire land, comply with North Carolina Department of Transportation requirements, map school boundaries, negotiate with land-owners in road widening projects, communicate project information to the Board of Education and maintain a street database that holds all streets and house numbers within the county.
Though not native to the area, Bell has a history in Guilford County. She began her career here working for the county after attending Penn State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After working in school planning in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Bell returned to Greensboro to raise a family. Two years ago, she joined the facilities department, and her oldest child is preparing to enter pre-kindergarten in the fall.
Bell spends her days figuring out what schools need more seats and what schools may lose seats, but her favorite times are when she actually gets to go out and see the students in those seats. “I don’t get to do it very often,” Bell said, “But when you go into a classroom, some students are shy, and some aren’t, but they all have so much energy. It just keeps you focused.”
Bell’s job is all about the bigger picture. “I just try to get our campuses everything they need so the kids can just focus on being kids. That’s what makes me feel satisfied at the end of the day.”
2008 Bond Projects Begin
Jamestown Middle is first on the list of priorities for the 2008 School Bonds. We’ve purchased the land and completed the design. In addition, on May 8, two days after voters approved the 2008 Bond, the Board voted to issue a Request for Qualification (RFQ) to obtain the services of a construction manager for Jamestown Middle School and Ragsdale High School/Autism Wing. This RFQ is due early in June. We can begin construction once we secure permits and finalize contracts. For more information about Jamestown Middle, click here.
Next up is the renovation and expansion of Ragsdale High. The plan calls for partial demolition of the existing high school classroom wing. The new construction includes a media center, main gym and administration area. Code-related upgrades to existing facilities, such as fire sprinklers, are included in the funding. The plans designate an area of the school for the Ragsdale Autism Wing. Additionally, we recently received responses to the design RFQ for the 2008 School Bonds, which include Ragsdale High. Staff members are reviewing these and are working with the Architectural Selection Committee to identify a design firm for Ragsdale in the near future.
The replacement school for Eastern High is well underway and scheduled to open in early 2009. In order to expedite the building of the school, the basic design is similar to that of the recently completed Northern High. The new school, which is almost twice the capacity of the former school, incorporates many green elements like day-lighting, rainwater catchment and solar tubes. Most of the walls are up, workers have, installed the heating and air conditioning units and planted trees and shrubs around the exterior. The electrical rough-in and sprinkler work on the second floor are complete, and installation of the air ducts has begun on ground-level areas. The teacher parking area is finished, and the new road to student parking is now paved.
In addition, we’ve begun acquiring the land for the airport area high and middle schools, northern Greensboro elementary and southeast area elementary, and we are scheduling heating and air conditioning renovations at 21 sites included in the 2008 School Bond. These renovations will take place at times when the impact to the learning environment is minimal..
For more information about 2008 School Bonds, click here.
2003 Bond Wrap-Up
Construction crews recently completed the demolition of Union Hill Elementary to make room for a replacement school. The Board of Education approved site grading and preliminary building work on May 8. The new school is on track to open in time for the beginning of school in the fall of 2009.
The new addition that houses six classrooms, two resource rooms, a teacher workroom, kitchen, dining room, restrooms, storage and equipment rooms at Pleasant Garden Elementary is rapidly approaching completion. Crews have finished the block and brickwork and installed the majority of the sprinkler systems. The plumbing is 75 percent complete, and the steel roof is erected.The new building is on schedule for completion by the time students come back to school this fall.
In compliance with federal laws, Guilford County Schools administers all educational programs, employment activities and admissions without discrimination because of race, religion, national or ethnic origin, color, age, military service, disability or gender, except where exemption is appropriate and allowed by law. Refer to the Board of Education's Discrimination Free Environment Policy AC for a complete statement. Inquiries or complaints should be directed to the Guilford County Schools Compliance Officer, 120 Franklin Boulevard, Greensboro, NC 27401; 336.370.2323.