THOMSON, Ga. -- The McDuffie County Board of Education voted Thursday night to close Thomson Middle School and consolidate schools in an effort to help the budget situation.
Thomson Middle currently houses sixth- and seventh-graders. Next year, pupils in those grades will attend school in the new Thomson-McDuffie Junior High School building on White Oak Road.
Thomson-McDuffie Junior High currently serves eighth and ninth grades. The eighth-grade students will remain there next year, but the ninth graders will attend Thomson High School.
Most of the faculty will be transferred and not affected by the consolidation. The move is projected to save at least $250,000.
Everyone else is tightening their belts including me. Huzzah for McDuffie County BoE for doing the same! May other boards of education follow their lead.
Why are they closing the ON MAIN STREET school.(That is really going to make the town look SUPER COOL...Ya think!!) Why not close the old Norris School (not on main street of the town). OR, is someone in the town itching to get their hands on that piece of real estate??
I hope the folks from the Lincoln County BOE read this.
This Board of Education over spent by $10,000,000. ( yes that is 10 million) building the Thomson Jr High/now the middle school. The homeowner property tax mil rate was raised less than 18 months ago. Under the State Teachers Union the more degrees or certifications one holds the more the pay. In the private sector one is paid by the position they hold. That is why schools may have 20 6th grade teachers making anywhere from $35,000. to $75,000. while teaching the same students. Sadly the students will be paying the price for teacher cuts. I guess this is a left-handed example of a trickle down economy...
If you will look at the documents for the board meeting 14 January 2010, look at the construction contract, you will see that
the cost was less than the contract price, some $ 113,000 less.
Why is that building being closed? It is a large property and appears to be in good condition. The Norris building in old and it appears to need work. Again one more empty building on Main Street in Thomson, but hey the new courthouse is going to be the reason our young people stay in town--NOT. We never needed that new school building, which the board failed to report the cost so the budget at one time look better than it was. The old Super--very shady.
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