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WEST POINT — Chambers County Superintendent of Education Dr. Sharon Weldon updated members of the West Point Rotary Club on Thursday on the status of building a consolidated high school in Valley.

She told them that the current school board and the federal judge overseeing the case were in agreement that such a school will be built on a selected site in Valley and will be designed to accommodate an estimated 900 students.

What’s being looked at is doing this within a budget not to exceed $90 million.

Given the level of inflation, given what has been experienced post-Covid and what is expected in the coming years, it won’t be easy to keep the cost in that price range. Dr. Weldon said that people need to keep in mind that the construction cost figure does not include such necessities as architectural fees, fees for the professional support team, geotechnical services, wiring the building, putting in furniture and a host of other needs. Because of this she’s looking for some wiggle room. “My goal is to work toward $85 million,” she said. “That  will give us some flexibility to get to $90 million.”

An estimated two-thirds of the funding going to a public school system comes from the state. There’s some federal money supporting schools but it’s carefully earmarked. Local funding takes up a pretty big chunk, too.

The system is now in an early phase of getting a bond rate.

“We will get there,” Weldon said. “I want people to see that we are doing this for our kids. That will drive it.”

Weldon has deep roots in Chambers County. Her grandmother, Mae Sides, was a beloved elementary teacher in the Langdale community. Most of her family attended and graduated from Valley High. “I will have three grandchildren who will go to this new high school,” she said. “Having it will be vital to our future.”

She said that she’s in agreement with Alabama State Superintendent of Education Eric Mackey that the quality of education being provided must meet three basis goals for each student: (1) that they be proficient in reading, (2) that they be proficient in math and (3) that they be college and/or career ready.

The current timeline for the opening of the new Chambers County High School is the year 2028.

The system has the advice on how to proceed from one of the most respected people on such projects in the state. Joe Jolly has been assisting local governments in Alabama with financing projects since the 1970s. He’s been invaluable with his help to local governments in Chambers County. He’s now advising the Chambers County School District with the new highs school project.

What’s being looked at in terms of design is as a building with a competition gym and an auxiliary gym, one building that will have high school students from throughout Chambers County and those who are attending career tech. Security is the post-Columbine world will be a major concern, too. Most schools in the county are on campuses with multiple buildings. This presents problems in having them fully secured from potential intruders. Having one big building makes it easier.

Weldon said that April 20, 1999 is an important date in current school planning. On that date in Columbine, Colorado, two senior students murdered 13 fellow students and one teacher. It was the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history until December 2012 when more than 20 people were killed in a mass shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut. The wide availability of deadly weapons has made school security a major issue nationwide.

“Until Columbine, everything was about education,” Weldon said. “It changed things. Keeping our students safe while they are at school is a major concern now too.”

A fire at Valley High in September 2000 also changed thinking. “I was working there as a teacher at the time,” Weldon said. “One little spark caused it. Thank God it happened in the early morning hours when no one was there.”

The fire took out some classrooms that had been there since the school was built in 1939. It underscored the point that aging buildings carry risks.

Another factor to consider in taking on a school building project is the state of the national economy. “It has changed significantly in the last few months,” Weldon said.

Weldon said she has learned some important life lessons in dealing with money. “My dad taught me to be responsible with my money and to be even more responsible if I would ever handle the money of others.”

Taking on the task of building a new high school is a daunting task in the environment we are in. It has to be done the right way, in a way that treats everyone as fairly as possible.

The new school won’t be centrally located in Chambers County but will be close to the major population center. In terms of having adequate services such as water, sewer, electricity, natural gas and good transportation, being in a location with industrial park services is a definite plus.

Weldon loves to talk about the system’s career tech program. She believes it’s a major asset and can be expanded. She notes that some recent career tech graduates have jobs with promising careers and are already making more money than some college graduates with master’s degrees. Students in career tech are acquiring employable skills in engineering, precision machining and automotive technology that are in great demand.

“If you ever get the chance to go and see a green car event you should,” she said. “We have hosted these at Inspire Academy, and it’s really something to see. It looks like a college campus with all the activity going on. Our team will be at Talladega this week.”

The problem with career tech being in LaFayette is that it means bus transportation back and forth. Weldon said it’s better to start and finish the day at one location than having transit time. “Valley High students give up an hour every school day going back and forth,” she said. “I had rather that hour be going to instruction.”

Weldon said the new school is definitely on go. “We are on track for this,” she said. “We are working on unity and continuing school traditions. It’s a good thing to have traditions and we want to keep them going.”