BY KARISSA MILLER

The Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education on Monday approved a $3.3 million bid to construct a new 11,000-square-foot addition to the Facilities and Planning Building on the Career Academy and Technical School campus in Troutman.

The addition will provide office space for district administrators who currently work in the ADR building in Statesville.

The building contract was awarded to T.C Strickland Construction Company Inc. for $3,374,600. Including the cost of furniture, fixtures and equipment, the total cost of the project is $3,573,243, officials stated.

Funding for the project will come from current expense funds moved to the capital budget through a resolution for $3 million, which was approved by the school and county commissioners in 2022, and the current fiscal year capital funds.

Board Chairman Bill Howell said that the board has long recognized the need to bring all central office employees, who currently work in the Race Street office and ADR building, under one roof.

“First, we have to move ADR and then Race Street. All of the administrative employees will eventually be at CATS. It will save a lot of money as far as two less buildings to maintain, but also with travel and meeting. It will be more efficient,” Howell said.

Tim Ivey, I-SS chief technology, facilities and maintenance officer, said construction will start sometime in March.

Out-of-District Policy Changes

In other matters, the board approved closing nine schools to out-of-district attendance for the 2024-2025 school year.

The district will restrict attendance to Lake Norman, Lakeshore, Shepherd, Troutman, Central and East Iredell elementary schools as well as Lakeshore Middle School and Lake Norman and South Iredell high schools.

Only students who live in those schools’ districts will be allowed to attend those schools due to the schools being over crowded or close to their state recommended maximum class size.

Out-of-district students are students who by residence would attend I-SS and wish to attend a school outside of their designated residential attendance zone, along with students who live outside of the I-SS district and wish to pay tuition to attend an I-SS school.

Students who currently attend a school site not within their attendance zone and those who live outside of I-SS district would be allowed to continue to attend during the 2024-2025 school year as long as they meet the district requirements outlined in the out-of-district approval letter as well as those noted in BOE Policy 4150 – School Assignment.

The policy also outlines exceptions, such as enabling siblings to attend the same school.

OTHER BUSINESS

In other business:

• The board approved a resolution that will convey the Weathers Creek parcel to Iredell County in order for the property to be used as collateral for the financing. The County will lease the property back to the school board. It will last the period of the debt service. The County will enter into an agency agreement allowing the school board to oversee the construction of the site.

• The board approved the 2024-2025 BOE meeting schedule. All of the meetings will begin at 6 p.m. at CATS. Meetings will continue to be held the first and second Monday of the month. However, there will be only one meeting for the months of July, September, November and March due to holidays and spring break.