By Auggie Brown
Glasgow News 1
Barren County school officials are considering whether to renovate Barren County Middle School or eventually build a new middle school as they update the district’s facilities plan. The Barren County Schools Local Planning Committee met Thursday evening at the Board of Education central office to continue work on the District Facility Plan, which guides future construction and renovation projects.
During the meeting, members reviewed a draft of the plan and discussed options for Barren County Middle School. A key question was whether the district should construct a new middle school or focus on upgrading the existing campus. Barren County Middle School Principal Joey Bunch told committee members he does not believe a second middle school is necessary. Bunch said he favors renovating and expanding the current school in order to keep all middle school students together and avoid dividing the community into separate campuses.
He said adding more classrooms and science labs could improve the school’s ability to serve students and align better with what they will experience at Barren County High School. As of Thursday, Bunch said there are 732 students enrolled at the middle school. He noted the school currently has two science labs for seventh grade and two for eighth grade, and that one science teacher must teach in a non-lab classroom because of the lack of science lab classrooms.
Bunch said potential renovations could include additional science labs, more general classrooms and space for engineering or other specialized courses to modernize the building. He also emphasized that any work on the building would be a long-term project. There is no set timeline for construction, and Bunch said the ideas are at the “vision” stage.
Officials at the meeting said projects must first appear in the District Facility Plan submitted to the Kentucky Department of Education before they can be considered for funding or scheduling. The committee will continue refining the draft plan before a final version is presented for approval.
– Barren County Schools Local Planning Committee met June 18 to review a draft District Facility Plan
– Officials discussed whether to renovate Barren County Middle School or build a new middle school
– Principal Joey Bunch spoke against building a second middle school and in favor of renovating the existing school
– Bunch cited community division and the need for more science labs and classrooms as key reasons for renovation
– About 732 students are currently enrolled at Barren County Middle School, according to Bunch
– Any project must first be included in the District Facility Plan submitted to the Kentucky Department of Education and is considered a long-term vision
– About one quarter of Barren County’s population is affected by decisions of the Barren County Schools Local Planning Committee
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