By Tanna M. Friday
Editor
TRUSSVILLE – During the Trussville City Schools Board of Education workshop on Monday, July 23, Superintendent Dr. Pattie Neill shared with the board the city’s plans to relocate the central office to another city-owned property off Highway 11.
“The Mayor has plans for this area in the downtown redevelopment,” said Neill. “He has reserved some land for the central office across from Winn Dixie.”
The home of the current central office was constructed in 1968 as a kindergarten.
“The resolution before you tonight is to pull funds from the Education Trust Fund to build a new central office, which is part of the downtown redevelopment project,” said Neill.
A portion of the City of Trussville’s sales tax is currently allocated for educational needs into a trust fund to be used exclusively for TCS capital outlay purposes. The Trussville City Board of Education is requesting up to $5 million dollars out of the approximately $7 million from the Education Trust Fund to be transferred to the Trussville City Schools.
The two-acre property, located off Highway 11, is home to the former location of Trussville’s Department of Building Safety and Inspections. The department is now located off Cherokee Drive.
According to TCS, the relocation will help streamline the central office functions, which are currently housed in four locations. Included in the building’s preliminary planning stage would provide space for all departments including the curriculum, special education, administration, athletics, student services, finance, facilities and maintenance, technology, alternative school, and the child nutrition department. Additional space will accommodate rooms for board meetings, training, as well as maintenance storage.
While there are no renderings available in this stage of planning, the estimated cost of the building is approximately $3.5 million, with an additional $1 million to move the multiple school computer system.