VALDOSTA – Lowndes County Schools has made its decision regarding the new Lowndes High School.

Lowndes County Schools Superintendent Wes Taylor explains that the board began discussing options in July regarding what should be done about Lowndes High School.

“The original buildings are 52 years old,” Taylor said. “We’ve got some structural issues that we are aware of and that we’ve got to confront. We had been for the last couple of years putting band-aids on these symptoms.  Now that we’ve positioned the district financially to confront these problems, we’ve got to do that.”

The three options included going in and repairing everything within the school, building a new school from the ground up on the Pine Grove property that was purchased in 2007 or demolish the original buildings and build up the new Lowndes High School on the same footprint.

Each option was estimated to cost around $50 million. Whereas the state would fund 11 percent and 19 percent of cost respectively on the first two options, the state will fund 40 percent of the projected cost on the third.

The decision was made by the Lowndes BOE to go with the third option and build up a new Lowndes High School in its current location.

“By going up two or three stories, whatever it takes, we are going to tie everything on that campus together and increase security,” Taylor said. “We are going to gain some green space on that campus and at the same time we are going to project out. We are going to anticipate if we need to add on in the future.”

Taylor added that he is aware this will be a temporary inconvenience as a little more than half the campus is demolished and build a new school while classes are still taking place.

“We are going to have a lot of work that is going into a safe learning environment during that time,” Taylor said. “But the long term outcome is going to be so much better than what we have today for many years to come. That inconvenience is a small price to pay.”

Taylor also stated that there are currently no intentions to increase the millage rate and have a financial plan that works alongside the construction plan. He anticipates the building will be fully paid for shortly after occupying it.

Below is the full interview with Wes Taylor from the Morning Drive with Steve Nichols: