Word on the final approval of a FEMA grant earmarked to build eight tornado-proof classrooms at DeKalb West School should be coming in the next few weeks, David Brown of Kaatz, Binkley, Jones & Morris Architects of Mount Juliet informed the DeKalb County School Board last Tuesday.
Brown told the board that final approval might come as soon as August.
“We actually had nine of these grants go through and get approved, yours being one of them,” Brown said. “Three of them have come back from Atlanta already, getting approved and monies becoming available. I've spoken with the state and there is one more ahead of you guys at the moment, and then you guys are next. I expect monies becoming available for our DeKalb West project probably in August.”
Brown said that although the funding appears to be on track for approval, it is not possible to predict the exact date.
“Nobody will swear to the date at all,” Brown informed the board. “They won't commit in any way, but it’s encouraging to see the ones who have already gone down there and gone through the process and have come back actually quicker than I expected. We've already dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's and we're just waiting for it to go through the machine, if you will.”
Brown said his firm has already been doing preliminary inspections in preparation for the project.
“Our roofing expert spent a day with Maintenance Supervisor Earl Jared and looked at the roofing jobs that you've got coming and all of those look very straight forward and easy to do, so whenever you turn us loose on that we'll be able to have those ready to bid in no time at all and we'll be ready to start DeKalb West as well," said Brown.
A little more than $1.5 million has already been approved be the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency for the project pending final approval by the FEMA.
A $600,000 match in local funding will be required from local funds to complete construction.
The budget plan includes taking a $3.4 million note to cover the $600,000 grant match for the construction of the new classrooms, as well as an $850,000 cafeteria and kitchen renovation project at DeKalb West, a $1.1 million roof repair at DeKalb Middle, a $700,000 roof repair at DeKalb West, and an $85,000 Smithville Elementary roof repair.
The board also voted to sign up for a new TVA program that is designed to ease electric load at peak times to prevent demand for power from surpassing supply during times of heavy usage.
The school system will receive financial incentives for turning off some high-load machinery, such as air conditioning, during peak times.
The TVA-EnerNOC Demand Response Program is set up to notify school officials to reduce power consumption at certain qualifying schools during periods of high consumption.
DCHS, DeKalb Middle and Northside Elementary may be eligible for the program, which could result in a reduction  of power usage by as much as 250 kilowatts.
Metering devices will be installed to monitor energy usage.
Director of Schools Mark Willoughby told the board that he could not see a downside to the program, as it will potentially save money on energy bills in addition to the premiums paid by the TVA for participation.
“The real plus to this is them coming in and telling us the areas that are using the most electricity and it not costing us anything for them giving us a prescription for it,” Willoughby told the board.
Maintenance Supervisor Earl Jared told the board that it might not be practical to cut power to the air-conditioning systems while school is in session.
“It would be great, but if you can't shut enough down to participate, then it’s going to be hard to do,” Jared said.
 “They're going to call you about two o'clock in the afternoon and want you to shut down for about four hours, then it’s going to get hotter from there on out. I'm not sure it would even be feasible to do it,” he opined.
Willoughby said that since there is no cost to the school system, he saw no reason not to try the program and see how it worked.
“I'd rather to do it, and if we can, we will and if we can't do it we're not losing anything,” he said.
DCHS Principal Patrick Cripps updated the board on planned activities at the high school.
“Our Freshman Orientation will be Monday, July 30,” Cripps said. “Students can be dropped off at 4 p.m. and parents can come back at 6 p.m. We'll do orientation with them and they can get their schedules.
“Freshmen students who come on this date will not have to come to our half day registration on Aug. 2.
“On July 26-27, new student registration will be held from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. That applies to new students in the county. It does not apply to new students coming to the high school from the middle school or the West School, it’s just new students to our county,” Cripps stressed.
“Also on July 26-27, grades 10-12 can pick up their schedules between the hours of 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., but they will still need to attend on that half-day of registration,” the principal concluded.
DeKalb Middle School Principal Randy Jennings also informed the board of the upcoming schedule at the school.
“Our sixth-grade orientation at the middle school is July 31, which is on Tuesday night,” Jennings told the board. “We will be doing a call home to the students to let them know which students are to come at what time. We have two different groups who come. Seventh and eighth graders will register on Aug. 2,” he concluded.
Attendance Supervisor Clay Farler said pre-k registration was down from last year.
“We had our pre-k registration on Monday,” Farler said. “We had fewer to initially register this year than we had in the past, so at the moment it looks like we still may have some openings.
“Several people came in today to register, so if you would like to come by my office and pick up your registration papers you're encouraged to do that, especially those of you who live in the DeKalb West School area,” he continued.
“We were lower there than we have been in recent years. Hopefully, other people who were not able to come Monday will be able to come and register their students.”
Dee Anna Reynolds of the Coordinated School Health Program told the board that parents should be working to bring students’ immunization records up to date.
“I want to remind parents that there is still time to get their children's immunizations current and up to date and let them know that we will be at the middle school Aug. 2 during registration to check on immunizations,” Reynolds said.
“If those are not current, those students will not be allowed to come into school until they are updated,” she said, “The two main shots that we will be looking for are the Tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis booster and then there's a second dose of Varivax which is chicken pox or the parent can show proof that the child has had chicken pox if they do not have that second dose.
“We're also working with Mr. Farler with the pre-k registration now and checking those immunizations as well,” Reynolds shared. “For students who were in sixth grade last year and going into the seventh grade this year, letters were sent home for the first time prior to spring break hoping that would give parents that week while the children were off on spring break to get those.
“Nurses went back and checked those again, and a second letter was sent home the week before school was out so that they would have the summer to work on getting those immunizations current and up to date. There is still time now, if they have not had time to get those taken care of.
“There is still time to do that even with their private physician, medical doctor, or health department. We're also going forward with the back-pack program again this year. We hope that we'll be able to feed kids every weekend as long as supplies and volunteers last. If anybody is interested in helping us with that, give us a call with the coordinated school health program,” Reynolds said.
School Nutrition Supervisor Stephanie Dyer reminded parents to fill out free or reduced lunch applications for their children.
“I want to remind all the parents that the free and reduced applications will be available in the students' packets, and if they are not there, then you can get them in the teacher's classrooms or in the office,” Dyer said. “Please fill it out correctly. The instructions will be available on the DeKalb County School website under lunch menu.
“Make sure you sign and put the last four digits of the parent's Social Security number on the back,” she said. “Also make sure you check the no income box, just in case.”
Julie Vincent, principal at Smithville Elementary School, said the school is looking good.
“Things are really shaping up at Smithville Elementary School,” Vincent told the board. “The custodians are working super hard at getting the floors stripped and waxed. There's been a lot of painting that's gone on.
“I'd like to thank Mr. Jennings for loaning us one of his custodians to come over and help us get the floors done correctly,” she continued. “There's lots of good positive changes, and I've had lots of great comments from teachers that have come in the classrooms already to work and move furniture. They just seem real excited. It’s been real positive so far. Things will be all set to go come Aug. 2 for registration and Aug. 6 for the first full day,” Vincent concluded.