This has been a long year for our school and is almost finished. Hopefully, when we come back to school in August, the high school building project will be complete. Valley Head High School will be safe to use and look fabulous!! The engineer's report is in and preparations are being made to start repairs as soon as school is out.
BUILDING REPAIRS
GOOD NEWS!!-
The repair work will include-
Mold issue-
Resolution of moisture issues that caused the mold and the rotted wood-
the basement is located
o several plans are being evaluated and compared to determine the best permanent solution
to this issue
Additionally, the windows were inspected this week and will be repaired or replaced, as needed.
DEKALB COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING
There was a large number of students in the county recognized for their achievements, including several from Valley Head. It makes me proud to see our students doing so well!
The Board announced some faculty cutbacks at Valley Head which are based on enrollment and attendance. In order to prevent this from happening again and to earn back our faculty three things are important-
From the handbook- CLASS SIZE
"The DeKalb County Board of Education shall allocate teacher units in line with the State Department of Education's allocation, based on average daily membership determined by the enrollment data pulled on the twentieth school day after Labor Day. Funding units earned from this attendance are then provided for the next school term. In the event of unexpected larger or smaller classes, reductions or increases in personnel may be made for the next year. Pupil-teacher ratios will meet the Foundation Program requirements and Southern Association standards as determined by legislative act and state school Board regulations."
The information given here is coming from several sources, but it was all given to me by officials.
I spoke with Mr. Monroe Thursday morning, then my husband and I made a trip to the Board of Education to talk to Assistant Superintendent Brian Thomas (who gladly gave us the only open hour of his day), and we were back in Rainsville for the Board meeting at 5pm. I have personally saw, and have a printed copy available for viewing, of two engineer's reports. They both state that the school is sound structurally, except for some isolated cases that are being repaired this summer. The mold is being removed and steps are being taken to resolve the issues that caused it in the first place. I feel secure enough to say that the Board is taking all the necessary steps to give our children a nice, safe learning place, in my opinion. I am thrilled about the campus beautification and glad to see the students taking pride in their school. I feel we are definitely on the right track. There are more improvements that need to be made, and it is vital that we keep the school maintained in order to carry the legacy forward. When She was built, people were in the habit of building things that lasted- things to pass down with pride to their children. They were in the habit of working hard to maintain these things and working together. We need to follow their example- build a school community that works together to get things accomplished, to give our kids a lasting education, and to give our kids a legacy to be proud of.
Tiger CHAMPS can help develop that Tiger PRIDE!!
BUILDING REPAIRS
GOOD NEWS!!-
- overall, "the building appeared to be in good structural condition"
- items found in need of repair were "isolated issues" caused by certain problems which are being addressed (not overall decay of the building)
- no issues were found in the attic
- the issue with the stage was found and is NOT a major issue ( a joist repair)
- an initial estimate has already been given for the project
The repair work will include-
- new tile in the auditorium
- paint auditorium and classrooms
- cut off and replace or splice all parts of joists that have been compromised due to water damage- isolated incidences believed to be from moisture problems
- some girders had been notched out for pipes for the old boiler- these pipes are no longer needed- girders will be repaired several feet on each side of the notch
- jack up and support any parts of the floor that are sagging
Mold issue-
- all HVAC units are being replaced
- all mechanical closets which house these units have rot and mold. They will be ripped out and completely replaced- the floor joists checked and repaired/replaced
- all surface areas in the building will be checked and all mold properly taken care of
- work done by a certified mold removal specialist
Resolution of moisture issues that caused the mold and the rotted wood-
- vapor barrier (plastic, etc) to be installed in crawl space
- poor drainage in the courtyard-
the basement is located
o several plans are being evaluated and compared to determine the best permanent solution
to this issue
Additionally, the windows were inspected this week and will be repaired or replaced, as needed.
DEKALB COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING
There was a large number of students in the county recognized for their achievements, including several from Valley Head. It makes me proud to see our students doing so well!
The Board announced some faculty cutbacks at Valley Head which are based on enrollment and attendance. In order to prevent this from happening again and to earn back our faculty three things are important-
- We need to be the kind of community that people want to move into with children.
- We need to be the kind of school that parents want to send their children to.
- We- parents, school faculty, and administrators- must stress the importance of attendance to our children, motivate them to want to go to school, and require it of them. We must encourage them to take full advantage of a good education.
From the handbook- CLASS SIZE
"The DeKalb County Board of Education shall allocate teacher units in line with the State Department of Education's allocation, based on average daily membership determined by the enrollment data pulled on the twentieth school day after Labor Day. Funding units earned from this attendance are then provided for the next school term. In the event of unexpected larger or smaller classes, reductions or increases in personnel may be made for the next year. Pupil-teacher ratios will meet the Foundation Program requirements and Southern Association standards as determined by legislative act and state school Board regulations."
The information given here is coming from several sources, but it was all given to me by officials.
I spoke with Mr. Monroe Thursday morning, then my husband and I made a trip to the Board of Education to talk to Assistant Superintendent Brian Thomas (who gladly gave us the only open hour of his day), and we were back in Rainsville for the Board meeting at 5pm. I have personally saw, and have a printed copy available for viewing, of two engineer's reports. They both state that the school is sound structurally, except for some isolated cases that are being repaired this summer. The mold is being removed and steps are being taken to resolve the issues that caused it in the first place. I feel secure enough to say that the Board is taking all the necessary steps to give our children a nice, safe learning place, in my opinion. I am thrilled about the campus beautification and glad to see the students taking pride in their school. I feel we are definitely on the right track. There are more improvements that need to be made, and it is vital that we keep the school maintained in order to carry the legacy forward. When She was built, people were in the habit of building things that lasted- things to pass down with pride to their children. They were in the habit of working hard to maintain these things and working together. We need to follow their example- build a school community that works together to get things accomplished, to give our kids a lasting education, and to give our kids a legacy to be proud of.
Tiger CHAMPS can help develop that Tiger PRIDE!!