BOE to renovate elementary restrooms

The Enterprise Board of Education agreed during a Feb. 26 meeting to move forward with plans to renovate restrooms at Holly Hill, Pinedale and Rucker Boulevard Elementary schools.

Board members agreed to enter into an architectural contact with McKee and Associates of Montgomery at a rate of 7 percent.

Enterprise City Schools Superintendent Aaron Milner said the project is budgeted for approximately $450,000 and said the board would begin receiving bids for renovations upon the plans’ approval from the Alabama Building Commission.

“Our elementary bathrooms are one of the most urgent needs right now, and most have had no updating since their original construction,” Milner said. “They’re clean and up to date, but like a home, every few years you have to renovate to bring them up to modern standards. We also want to make sure they are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.”

In other news, board members approved a resolution to request a special referendum election from the Coffee County Commission.

The vote pertains to the renewal of the 4-mil district tax levied by Section 2 of Amendment No. 3 of the Alabama Constitution.

The tax has to be renewed every 25 to 30 years.

Milner will join Coffee County Schools Superintendent Don McPherson and Elba City Schools Superintendent Rick Rainer during a March 11 meeting of the Coffee County Commission to request the referendum be held this spring.

The board also recognized the accomplishments of several students in the Enterprise school system.

Jeremy Burgess, a senior at Enterprise High School, was recently named as one of Alabama’s five finalist in the ACT’s College and Career Readiness Campaign.

Burgess was selected based on grade point average, ACT score, and school involvement.

On March 14 Burgess will travel to Montgomery to an Alabama State Board of Education meeting, where he will find out if he’ll move on to represent Alabama at the national level.

“There is a lot of talk now about college and career readiness and for us to have a representative from EHS at the state level is great,” said EHS Principal Matt Rodgers. “This speaks volumes for Jeremy and his teachers.”

Burgess himself wants to be a history teacher when he finishes his education.

“I’ve had such influence from the teachers in Enterprise, and I want to give back like they have,” he said.

Burgess has already been offered full tuition at The University of Alabama, Auburn University and Troy University, but says he’s leaning toward Auburn or Troy.

He’s also has pending applications from Emory University and Yale University.

Burgess is a member of the National Honor’s Society, Treasurer of the French National Honors Society, 2^nd Chair Tuba in the EHS Wind Ensemble, 2012 tuba section leader in the EHS “Big Blue” Marching Band and is a tutor at EHS.

During the meeting, band directors Charlie Ford and Dayna Brannan, Enterprise High School; Sean Weiler, Enterprise Junior High School and Adam Brumberg, Dauphin Junior High School, recognized the 21 students who made District Honor Band and the 16 students who made Alabama’s All-State Band.

The EHS Scholars’ Bowl team and its sponsors, Kay Ciuzio and Allison Hancock, were also recognized.

This year, the team has already won the Enterprise Invitational at Enterprise State Community College and a scholars’ bowl tournament at Troy University.

The team travels to Montgomery March 2 to complete in the district tournament.

The 2012-2013 team members are Ben Davis, Faisal Anamashaun, David McRae, May Benoliel, Austin Brubaker, Devon Bowman, Ben Jimenez, Trista Head, Josh Cox, Ryan Wagner and Jake Parks.

Several students from Enterprise were also recognized for their participation in the Coffee County Spelling Bee Feb. 11.

Trey Chapman, Coppinville Junior High School, 5^th place; Ashley Chapman, College Street Elementary School, 4^th place; Lindsey Bailey, Holly Hill Elementary School, 2^nd place and Lucas Rickenbacker, CJHS, 1^st place, were all recognized for their efforts and success in the spelling bee.