The Baldwin County School District unveiled its newly renovated Board of Education building June 23 at a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by the Milledgeville/Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce.
For years, the building has experienced leaky roofs, aging carpet, and failing HVAC systems, which BCSD Superintendent Dr. Noris Price aimed to fix in the renovation but also opened the doors for a redesign of the inner building to create a more vibrant and welcoming space. The eight-week project was completed in partnership with Garbutt Construction and PBK Architects, with architect Tanya Rawdin as the lead designer.
“The official final touch of the renovations was completed June 23, but the project discussion began a year ago to create an environment where employees felt not only welcome but comfortable working,” said Price. “I am so happy we were able to get here. We have been able to create a board office welcoming to our employees, families, community, and visitors.”
During her tenure Price has seen many renovation projects come to fruition, including improvements at Midway Hills Primary, Midway Hills Academy, Braves Field stadium, the Athletic Complex, and Lakeview Primary. She stated it made her “proud” to make the board office the final project.
Price also thanked district staff for working with her vision and temporarily relocating to the Early Learning Center to allow the renovation to proceed.
“I’m glad to have ended with the board office.
Now, we have a beautiful place to honor our students, employees, and board members,” said Price. “I will be retiring June 30, so I am glad to see how many have joined us for this ribbon-cutting ceremony.”
Baldwin County Board of Education Chair Wes Cummings spoke at the ceremony, thanking the community for its support. “As you look around, remember this is your tax dollars at work,” said Cummings. “For the folks who led this and picked out the design, you did an excellent job making it feel like home. We want the community to feel good about being here and the board room is where we get a wonderful opportunity each month to recognize our students and share their successes with the community. That is so important for us to have the space that will be the best for them.”
PBK Architects also thanked the community and the Board of Education for its support. PBK Field Representative Roger Bloodworth affirmed that the project was done for the children and Rawdin explained the design is intended to make things easier for the children and their families as well to honor the county.
“I remember the first day we came here, and we toured around. Our tour guide described the board room very well. He said, ‘It smells like the monster ride at Six Flags.’ And he was exactly right,” said Rawdin with laughter.
“The building had shown its wear and use, but we were glad to give it a facelift and paint it in the county’s colors throughout the building. We hope we have made a better space for the county to use and enjoy for many years.”
In addition to board use, Rawdin's design accounted for the use of the board room as an event area for the Early Learning Center to host special programs. The stage was extended to cater to a class of 20 students and the room can now seat up to 280.
Cummings also thanked those attending for their latest vote to approve the ESPLOST VII, stating it was “probably one of the closest votes in years.”
Using ESPLOST VII, the district plans to complete renovations at Lakeview Academy and Baldwin High School in the future.