By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

The Alabaster Board of Education took steps to “get the ball rolling” on a new 330,000-square-foot high school, athletic facilities and “substantial” renovations to existing school facilities during a Feb. 17 meeting.

During the meeting, School Board members voted to enter into agreements with the Keller Williams realty company, the Frazier Lanier investment company, the Volkert engineering firm and enter into a contract with the McKee and Associates architecture firm.

Keller Williams will help Alabaster City Schools to procure real estate necessary for a new high school, Frazier Lanier will help ACS secure insurance on a possible future bond issue and McKee and Associates will provide architecture and interior design services for future building and renovation projects and Volkert will help manage future building and renovation projects, said Alabaster School Superintendent Dr. Wayne Vickers.

School Board President Adam Moseley said the four agreements marked the beginning of major capital improvement projects for the city school system.

“This will put the first building blocks in place as we look to move forward on these projects. This will get the ball rolling,” Moseley said during a Feb. 17 interview.

Moseley and Vickers said the school system has not yet finalized a location for the proposed new high school, but Vickers said the system is looking to construct a 330,000-square-foot high school and new athletic facilities.

Vickers also said the school system is planning major renovations to the current Thompson High School and Thompson Intermediate School buildings, along with “some immediate” renovations to other school buildings and athletic facilities.

Vickers also said the city is looking to change the grade structure in the schools, meaning some grades may soon attend different schools than they do now.

“We did some renovations to the school buildings last summer, but we are looking at making some more substantial renovations to the existing schools,” Moseley said.

The new high school could open in as early as three years, Vickers said.

“I’ve been in this business for 24 years, and I have never been more excited about what could happen in our school system,” Vickers said. “It’s a great day to be a part of Alabaster City Schools.”