Jasper The Hamilton County School Board, led by Superintendent Thomas Moffses, recently conducted a series of workshops at all three elementary schools - South Hamilton, North Hamilton and Central Hamilton - to update the public on safety and security concerns at the schools.

The first workshop took place at South Hamilton Elementary (SHE) in White Springs on Monday, Jan. 27. The second was held at North Hamilton in Jennings on Tuesday, Jan. 28 and the third at Central Hamilton on Thursday, Jan. 30.

Moffses explained that what he was presenting was a continuation of something that began in May of last year.

The Florida Department of Educations facilities team came into the county and did a review of our facilities...all facilities...and then came back and gave recommendations to the board, specific to elementary schools, said Moffses.

The DOE team, he said, found a multitude of safety and security issues at all three schools, including fencing, limited parent pickup and bus loading areas, building structural problems, aging portables, inadequate fire exits, and central heating and air conditioning concerns.

Twice in the past, in 2008 and 2011, Moffses said, the DOE recommended closing both North and South Hamilton.

Central Hamilton, Moffses said, is also nearing that point. The DOE, he said, stated that all of the countys elementary schools are at an age to be replaced.

That all was presented to the school board, and from that point, they continued and said Hamilton County was eligible for a construction project, said Moffses, who then told the audience that there are numerous steps the school board must complete before presenting a plan to the DOE in August.

This is a continuing process to go through and do an evaluation of what may or may not take place in the future, Moffses explained before engaging everyone in a video that was put together by General Services Coordinator Chuck Lambert and the Hamilton County High School TV production crew, who visited each school to film critical areas of concern.

The video Moffses presented, he told the board, was an edited version of each school site, and that each facility had unique issues. The full videos for each school, he said, are lengthy, but are available for viewing.

Excerpt from:
Workshops uncover building safety issues at HamCo elem. schools

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