Work will begin in the parking lot of the old Midway High School within the next few weeks, along with other projects in the county school system which are also scheduled to get under way soon.

Anthony Vann, executive director of auxiliary services, updated school board members on the recently approved projects during a Personnel/Curriculum committee meeting earlier this week.

“As you remember, part of our requirements (from the Department of Transportation) with opening the new Midway High School required us to reconfigure the parking lot across the street,” Vann explained. “We have our plans for that and we are scheduled to start that project Sept. 29.”

Vann said that the project, which will be a complete reconfiguration of the parking lot, should take a couple weeks to complete.

In addition, Vann said that his team has been preparing preliminary designs for the old high school.

“We know that the board is still looking at what to do with the old facility, but we are doing some preliminary designs — right now we are doing ‘spaces,’ options that we could use in shop areas and ag areas that may not be needed any longer.”

When complete, those plans will be reviewed by the entire board at a future meeting.

Vann also gave an updated schedule on three projects that the board approved at last month’s meeting — the Lakewood High School track; the new Technology Server Building; and the Union Elementary School playground.

Lakewood High School

“The timber at that site has been removed; we have sold that timber to offset our grading costs,” said Vann. “Our earth work and our relocating of the softball field is scheduled to start on October 1.”

Board member Faye Gay asked exactly where the new track will be at the school.

“The track will take up that whole area where the softball field is now,” said Vann. “That means that the softball field will be beside the baseball field now. When the school was designed, that is where the track was originally supposed to be and that is where we are putting it back.”

The new track at Lakewood High School will cost $200,000.

Union Elementary

“Our playground project at Union Elementary is scheduled to start on Sept. 30,” said Vann.

“Can you tell us how long that project is going to take?” asked Gay.

“Our contractor said it should take six to seven days,” answered Vann. “We have coordinated it with the school and they have told us that they are so happy that the board was able to make it happen for them. They said that they would take the kids to play somewhere else for six days to play while they are fixing it.”

The playground will cost $9,800.

Technology Server Building

“Right now we have the design under way and we have been meeting with the folks at Star Telephone and we have also been meeting with our technology department — hopefully, we will see something within the next few months with that,” said Vann.

The new Technology Server Building, priced at $62,500, will be paid from QZAB (Qualified Zone Academy Bond) funding and will be about 500 square feet of space.

Before Vann could finish his update, superintendent Dr. Ethan Lenker requested an update of the two other tracks — the new Midway and Union high schools that were also recently approved by the board.

“We had to come back and add some pavement to those areas to get them both at 400 meters,” said Vann. “The base has been put down at both sites and the top coat, the finishing layer of asphalt is ready to install and our folks are ready as soon as the weather breaks.”

Vann added that as soon as the rain holds off, the asphalt will be installed.

To reach Doug Clark call 910-592-8137 ext. 123 or send e-mail to sisports@myclintonnc.com.