The Columbia School District has hired the same architecture firm that revamped Mississippi State University’s Dudy Noble Field to study possible improvements to Walter Payton Field at Gardner Stadium.
The school board on Aug. 15 voted to approve Wier Boerner Allin Architecture of Jackson.
Superintendent Jason Harris said he and Board Attorney Drew Foxworth met with Jamie Wier, one of the firm’s partners, and are excited about the vision he has.
Harris said an agreement for a proposal was reached with Wier to begin identifying spots and different things that need to be done and from there the board would enter into a contract when and how it desires to move forward.
“I like that he specializes in recreational outdoors and sporting facilities rather than a school architect, which I think is very important for this project,” School Board Vice President Rene Dungan said.
Harris said the project is in the very early preliminary stages but that the district needs an upgrade for safety and other reasons to its existing football stadium, which dates to the 1950s.
The current track is not regulation size, which precludes Columbia from hosting meets, and Harris said one of the first steps for the architects will be to study if the district has enough room on the current stadium site for a regulation track.
If not, the district owns adjacent property where a new stadium could be built, although all of that remains undecided at this early juncture.
Harris said one of the most critical steps is replacing the bleachers, which he said aren’t up to current standards and pose a potential safety hazard.
In other action Thursday:
Band Director Leslie Fortenberry and assistant band director William Thompson received approval to travel out-of-state to Chicago to attend the Midwest International Band Clinic Dec. 17 through Dec. 22.
A request was approved for Choral Teacher Kimberly Walley, students and chaperones to travel and stay overnight to attend the Mississippi State University Choral Colloquium Sept. 8 and Sept. 9.
The following personnel were approved for hire:
- Beth Pierce, Columbia High dual enrollment teacher with William Carey University for French 101 and French 102, effective Aug. 27;
- Dottie McAllister, bus driver, effective Aug. 5;
- Mark McNair, full-time substitute bus driver, effective Aug. 5;
- Katina Martin, Columbia Primary kindergarten teacher’s assistant, effective Aug. 5;
- Abby Welch, Columbia Primary pre-kindergarten teacher’s assistant, effective Aug. 15;
- Olivia Stoutenberg, Columbia High long term substitute teacher, effective Aug. 5;
- Porsha Owokunle, school crossing guard, effective Aug. 13;
- John Bullock, Jefferson middle assistant football coach;
- Ginger Hayward, substitute teacher-certified;
- Mali McCarthy, substitute teacher-certified, effective Aug. 5;
- Derek McCoy, junior varsity basketball boys and girls coach;
- Sara “Jourdan” Bullock, school nurse;
- Maria Green, substitute child nutrition program worker, effective Aug. 16.
The board approved 15 fundraisers.
The board has been working revising Section J of the school district handbook and set 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 26 as a work date to continue on the revision.
A $5 science lab fee for students at Jefferson Middle has been approved to help offset costs in the science classes.
The next school board meeting will Sept. 17 at Jefferson Middle School.
Pictured Above: The Columbia school board has hired a Jackson architecture firm to study possible improvements at Walter Payton Field at Gardner Stadium, seen here Tuesday. | Photo by Charlie Smith
