Counties' school boards agree to spend $7.4 million on renovations for Academy for Career Excellence

By JONATHAN CRIBBS
jcribbs@beaufortgazette.com
843-986-5517

The Beaufort-Jasper Academy for Career Excellence could get a $7.4 million facelift after both counties' boards agreed Thursday to have a construction firm draft a three-year plan for renovation projects.

Atlanta-based Heery International will draw up a proposal both school boards could consider at their next joint meeting in October, Beaufort County Board of Education Vice Chairman Bob Arundell said.

The academy in Ridgeland has needed repairs for several years to bring it up to code. The building struggles with old copper piping, leaks in the bathroom and ceiling and the minor problems that come with a 30-year-old facility. It was built as a part-time career and technical school in 1975 and was switched to a full-time school in the 1980s.

The academy is jointly owned by the Beaufort and Jasper's school boards and serves students from both counties.

Questions over whether Beaufort would assume total control of the academy were dropped after Jasper school board officials said they would be able to pay for half of the renovations. The Beaufort County School District ponied up about $91,000 for equipment at the school last year, and Jasper contributed nothing, Arundell said.

"Jasper County has not been able to carry its fair share of the load up to now, and I didn't see how they will have the resources in the future," he said. "Frankly, I don't think we wanted to own the whole thing."

The Jasper school board is working with its county council and local legislators to secure additional money to pay for its half of the proposed renovations, Jasper school board Vice Chairman Priscilla Fraser said.

"Jasper County will be able to meet (its) obligations," she said.

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.CommentBody@

@Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@

Search...

• Search BeaufortGazette.com Archives