School system blames busted pipes for smell at Stringfellow
Mar. 28—MOULTRIE — Jeremy Jones, chief financial officer for the Colquitt County School System, told the school board Monday, March 25, that an odor lingering at Stringfellow Elementary School was being addressed.
He also updated them on other facilities' construction and renovation projects.
"I want to give the board a facilities update, if you don't mind. We have quite a few projects going on," Jones said at the monthly Board of Education meeting.
He said that, along with the projects, there are other things that pop-up because there are so many facilities in the school system.
"So ... Stringfellow. I've mentioned to the board before about that smell and odor that's in Stringfellow," he said.
He said that the maintenance department had done a smoke test about two weeks ago and identified several other areas in the building where the cast iron pipes had completely busted, eroded or cracked.
"The vent pipes. The fumes were not exiting the building. They were staying in the building. That's what the issue is," Jones said.
He said that, over the last two weekends, the maintenance department had worked at Stringfellow Elementary School to remove the busted cast iron pipes and replace them with PVC pipes.
"I check with Mr. Knighton just about every day and, if we don't check with them and there's a smell, they let us know," he said.
Jones added that he hadn't heard from Brian Knighton, principal of the school, that there had been a smell lately.
"We know the process of identifying. It takes a little time but we have full confidence that, if there are any more issues with cast iron pipes in that building, we'll find them and we'll get them replaced," he said.
Jones gave the board a run-down on the schools that needed HVAC replacement and work.
Cox, Funston and Stringfellow Elementary Schools had a lot of work done on the projects already, he said, but there were still waiting for some of the units to be delivered. He said that at Okapilco Elementary School, the classroom units had been replaced and they were waiting on the gymnasium, the kitchen and the cafeteria units.
"Those are some larger units. When those come in, that work will be done in the summer so we don't have those units cut-off during school," he said.
He also said that one of the high school units that was not working very well would be completely replaced during Spring Break.
Jones also updated the board on the ESPLOST projects' progress, which include demolition and construction at the middle school, new construction at the high school and a new agriculture facility and canning plant.
For the Williams Middle School building additions project, the two oldest buildings on the site, which are next to the Colquitt County Arts Center, will be demolished. Then, a new classroom wing will be added where those buildings are and a very large parking lot. Also, the cafeteria will be enlarged to accommodate more students.
"The Willie J. Williams project, it has begun. The demolition has begun. Dr. Purvis and his teachers can attest to that," Jones said.
He said the demolition would be completed by the time the students got back from Spring Break and then the construction would begin.
The Colquitt County High School projects consists of an addition to the existing building, which would add 16 classrooms, a student restroom, a teacher work room and an administrative office for a vice principal.
The new classrooms at the high school will accommodate moving the ninth grade students from C.A. Gray Junior High to the high school.
Jones said that the classroom addition was expected to start April 1 while the students were on Spring Break.
"And then the Canning Plant and Ag Facility, that project is set to begin in mid-April, as well," he said.
The Canning Plant and Agriculture Facility will be built across the road from the high school.
The canning plant, which will be 6,967 square feet, will house eight workstations, each with a 60-gallon kettle, blancher, table, sink and retort. Equipment will include shellers, peelers, juicers, an ice machine, mobile carts and a walk-in cooler.
The agriculture facility will have a livestock facility at the back of the site and the entire site will be fenced. The barn will accommodate both large and small animals and there will also be individual lockers where the students can keep their feed.
Other projects
The gymnasium floors at the middle school, junior high and high school will be refinished during Spring Break.
"Those floors, you tend to want to refinish gym floors anywhere from eight to ten years old," Jones said.
The softball field at Packer Park is having a drain tile installed and the project is moving along, Jones said, in spite of the rain, and they plan to lay sod on the field in early to mid-April.
The Wrestling Room is also under renovation.
