BOE to hold community meeting to present school growth options

The Homewood City Schools Board of Education and Hoar Program Management will present options and a recommendation for the school system's growth at a public meeting tonight. The meeting will be in the Homewood High auditorium at 6 p.m.

HPM's Tommy Alfano outlined the next steps HPM will take in planning Homewood City Schools' future growth at Monday's finance committee meeting. 

Alfano, Superintendent Bill Cleveland and Homewood Board of Education members attended the meeting in part because of a funding request from projects completed over the summer, which they had requested be reimbursed from the $110 million bond proceeds. That request had concerned some council members as to whether it fell under accepted uses of the bond funds, and Alfano and the school system withdrew it at the Oct. 23 meeting.

Instead, Alfano updated the committee on what's coming next after HPM and their contracted demographics firm have spent several months studying the school system and attempting to predict future trends.HPM has already presented their results to the BOE and faculty members.

Alfano said he hopes to submit a budget and scope of work to the finance committee in November, with the goal of obtaining council approval by Nov. 13. Following those presentations, Alfano said he would provide ongoing design and budget updates to the council. 

The current plan is to have all facilities work complete by the beginning of the 2019 school year, Alfano said.

Visit the facilities section of the Homewood City Schools website, homewood.k12.al.us, for copies of past presentations and meeting videos about the facilities growth project.