Outside the new Tar Heel Middle School.
ELIZABETHTOWN — The Bladen County School Board met for its monthly meeting Monday to go over the latest happenings in the area.
This is the final week of classes before the Winter Break, classes will resume again on Jan. 2. Friday will be the last day of class and there will be early release for schools across the county.
The new Tar Heel Middle School has been completed as the final check was to be finalized by officials this Tuesday. Construction officials have begun the process of moving materials out of the old building into the new one, while also listening to any concerns or suggestions that teachers have for their new rooms. Teachers, faculty, and students will be ready to move-in at the top of the new year. The old building will be gutted and the crew will begin the process of demolition starting this January
Some members of the board have voiced their opinions on what can be improved and what they hope to get done in the near future. One of their main concerns was the gym’s capacity as the bleachers currently can sit around 400-450 occupants. The contractor looking over the site says extending bleachers could limit floor space and further planning would be needed before going forward.
The Board also desires a fieldhouse for the school but the contractor suggests there is no more room to add an expanded facility without updating the current septic system. Some quick fixes without the Board having to pull another contract is repurposing the concession stand or adding onto the building. The developer has informed the Board that he’ll need an answer soon on any other renovations and the Board will come to a decision by the next Board meeting in January.
East Bladen High School traffic patterns will be subject to change in the near future to prevent accidents during the morning and afternoon. Blindspots created by the turning lane have been the cause of a few accidents over the years and officials have identified this problem during observations last week. NCDOT officials have suggested rerouting school drop-off and pick-up traffic to help alleviate traffic safety concerns.
The NCDOT will potentially introduce barriers and one-ways to lighten the headache of parking lot congestion. Also a plan to hold back the buses for a few minutes or reroute the bus exit to limit congestion could be implemented as well. West Bladen student Austin Hunt was also recognized for his drawing that will be placed in the Legislative Building in Raleigh.
Hunt’s black and white drawing of a dog was voted on by the NC Association of Art Teacher’s and will be featured in the Legislative Building for the next month. The Board also approved the Improvement Plan for Elizabethtown Middle as well as the Fall Custom Policy Updates.