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Politics & Government

Wheeler Project $2.6M over Budget

The Cobb County Board of Education will discuss the high construction bids at its work session this morning.

The lowest bid for renovation project came in more than 15 percent over budget, a problem the Cobb County Board of Education will discuss at its work session at 8:30 this morning.

Classroom trailers fill much of the front parking lot and other available spaces at the Holt Road school in anticipation of the start of school Monday, but the actual construction project is on hold while a $2.6 million budget problem is sorted out.

“The construction budget for the Wheeler HS project is $17,057,614,” the Cobb County School District’s SPLOST chief administrative officer, Doug Shepard, wrote in an email to Patch. “The low bid from Hogan Construction Group was $19,655,844.00. Since the project is over budget, we are negotiating with Hogan to establish the best possible contract scope and price.”

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East Cobb school board member David Banks, whose district does not include Wheeler, said he isn’t fazed by the over-budget bids. “We have the money, and if we’re going to do it, we might as well do it right.”

Another East Cobb project to be funded by the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax is on the school board’s agenda this morning: additions and modifications to that will cost an estimated $3.9 million. That project is due for a vote at the board’s regular meeting Aug. 25.

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Up for a final today is the reapportionment map that was presented by board Chairwoman Alison Bartlett and approved 6-1 by the board July 28.

Among other things, Bartlett said July 28 that her map aims to more evenly distribute the 16 high schools among board posts. Right now, posts range from one to four high schools each.

But Bartlett and others also want to keep communities and schools within the boundaries of their current posts. The proposed reapportionment map and the current district map are attached to this article.

Bartlett, whose Post 7 south of Marietta would expand westward under her plan, could not be reached for comment.

Banks also presented a reapportionment map July 28. Last week he updated his proposal and sent the changes to fellow board members.

“What I’m trying to get is zero deviation,” Banks said of the 90,214 average residents needed for each board post.

The General Assembly will finalize the redistricting for local governments and school boards, as Board Attorney Clem Doyle reminded the board July 28.

With congressional and legislative redistricting taking priority, Banks said today's reapportionment vote likely will be premature.

“My understanding is that reapportionment for county and school boards isn’t even going to be brought up in August,” Banks said. “My understanding is it might wait until January.”

Stephanie Mayfield, Gov. Nathan Deal’s press secretary, said Deal plans to issue a call at 9:30 this morning for a special session about redistricting.

Also on the agenda for the Board of Education’s work session is a recommendation to approve new Superintendent Michael Hinojosa’s goals, developed Saturday at a special board meeting. The three goals for this year are to raise student achievement while addressing gaps among groups, to develop current and three-year financial plans, and to address the needs of students who aren’t aiming for college, the Marietta Daily Journal reported.

The MDJ also reported that Banks will present a proposal today to give school district employees a 1 percent pay raise, even though the budget for this school year already relies on one-time revenues to achieve balance.

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