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SPLOST funded projects include flooring and painting at Big A Elementary, Liberty Elementary, Toccoa Elementary, and Stephens County Middle School.
School building improvements totaling some $6.07 million were approved last week by the Stephens County Board of Education.
The projects consist of flooring, painting, roofing, and heating and air conditioning systems.
They are funded through the school system's Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) and the federal government's Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) act.
SPLOST funded projects include flooring and painting at Big A Elementary, Liberty Elementary, Toccoa Elementary, and Stephens County Middle School.
Liberty Elementary roofing also was a part of the SPLOST funding.
Funds from the CARES act were approved to pay for heating and air conditioning improvements at Big A, Liberty, and Toccoa elementary schools.
"We're getting to where we can afford it (the projects)," said education board chairman Jim Bellamy.
All the projects approved will be overseen by local general contracting firm Bowen & Watson.
Broken down by school, costs stated at the meeting were:
• $1.5 million at Big A Elementary.
• $2.2 million at Liberty Elementary.
• $1.5 million at Toccoa Elementary.
• $871,000 at Stephens County Middle School.
In the Tuesday, Feb. 16 meeting, the board also approved advertising for bids to upgrade the intercom system at the middle school.
School technology director Brett Irvin said the middle school currenly utilizes an analog intercom system.
Irvin estimated the project cost will be between $100,000-$120,000.
Also at the Feb. 16 meeting, the board approved an increase in the pay scale for school nutrition employees.
Nutrition director Kim Caudell said the pay scale provides a more competitive rate when compared with neighboring school systems.
Caudell said that the starting rate would be $11 an hour and that it places Stephens County schools about in the middle of pay rates compared with school systems in neighboring counties.
"We're just trying to be more competitive," Caudell said.