During his campaign for Superintendent of Leon Schools, Rocky Hanna consistently opposed the proposal to build a new high school on the southside of the district. Instead, Hanna argued it was more prudent to invest funds in renovating Rickards High School and Fairview Middle School.
Now, as Superintendent, Hanna’s priorities are being implemented.
At the last School Board meeting there were three votes by the Board to move forward with renovation projects at Rickards and Fairview.
First, the Board voted to accept the Superintendent’s recommendation to approve an architectural consulting services contract in the amount of $423,476 for a Fairview Middle School project. The project includes new construction, remodeling and renovations of administration, dining, stage and kitchen facilities. The Fairview project has an estimated construction budget of $20,000,000.
The architect for the project is Barnett Fronczak Barlowe & Shuler Architects.
Second, the Board voted to accept the Superintendent’s recommendation to approve the Hoy + Stark Architects’analysis which calls for the demolition of buildings 5 and 6 at Rickards High School.
The analysis concluded that demolition would save the school system approximately $120,900 per year and corrects conditions found to be in violation of Life Safety codes, FLDOE requirements, and Safe School Design guidelines. Both buildings are over 50 years old.
The analysis will be submitted to the Florida Department of Education for review and approval. The Board has previously received approval to raze five other buildings on the Rickards campus.
And third, the Board voted to accept the Superintendent’s recommendation to approve a contract with Hoy+Stark Architects, P.A. in the amount of $816,903 for the Rickards High School New Construction Project. The project is for a two story classroom wing addition of approximately 20,000 square feet.
The Rickards construction project has an estimated construction budget of $30,000,000.
After the votes, Superintendent Hanna said “it’s going to be magnificent. I am excited about tonight. We made a promise to that community and to those schools and most importantly to those children. And tonight is the first step in delivering on that promise.”
Leon School Board Moves Forward with $50M in Renovations at Rickards, Fairview added by Staff on
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Look things can’t always be one sided when Leon County schools tried to close Bond and Lenard Wesson elementary schools citizens had to roll with program as best as possible. Well they did eventually close Lenard Wesson based on a sink hole claim but the site is still in use today. So now they bus the kids out of the community to Hartsfield so they could quietly build a new elementary school 3 miles up the same street just in of Southwood. And they was trying to do it again with Rickards. Glad the state turn down the land purchase plan that was large enough for two school across from Southwood.
wonder how much armed security will be added for these renovations
Nothing irks me more than this free lunch , bussing program instituted by the progressive liberal thinkers that look for ways to spend taxpayer monies. Tell these kids parents to get off their collective butts in the AM, fix the kid a peanut butter/jelly sandwitch, throw it and an apple in a paper bag and get off the taxpayer subsidy program . Also get your kid to school the same way they did in my time—get ”em a bycycle !
It is my understanding that one of Mr. Hanna supporters was Casey Welden, Allstate Construction. Will be interesting if they get a contract for these projects.
Steve,
Check and see if any company that was awarded a contract on this project or any future sub-contractor ever contributed to a current school board members campain or Hanna. Hanna concocted a notebook in part on a wild pay for play theory. Let’s see what is in his wallet!
Also check with Woody Hilderbrandt will he write to federal and local authorities about the cost per square foot?
Where did the School Board get the money? Are they going to raise our taxes? I was told at work that the Board is busing smart middle schol students to Fairview and smart high school students to Rickards to improve their school grades. Will we see more busing? I thought that Mr. Hanna and Ms. Striplin told voters they were going to build a new north side high school. Is this a payoff to the south side to get what they want later? More tax increasing coming!
They do bus smart kids to these schools for the IB and PreIB programs. I do not think they did it to raise those schools’ grades, but to get the most grant money possible to pay for the programs. Although the majority of the IB students come from the more affluent schools, the district doesn’t get gobs of grant money for those affluent schools. They get lots of money in grants for the poorly performing schools, the schools with the minorities, the schools where the kids qualify for free lunch, etc. This bussing is a good way to get these great programs paid for. I know some kids in AP at Chiles have to pay for their own AP tests. I bet you the district pays for the IB tests.
Great to hear they are improving Fairview. Maybe during reconstruction they will uncover the reason the current principal mistreated transgender students while at the same time he did not call authorities about the fact that Rocky knew he had fathered a child but did not pay child support for 10 years. The affidavit clearly defines who knew what and when. Talk about ethics violations. Given that the Principal of Fairview is a long time buddy of Hanna’s more cover-up and denials if he either one is asked…but read the affidavit.