"font-size: small;">BAY

MINETTE, Ala. — Baldwin County High School will be getting a little

bigger in the near future, as plans are under way to add a

multi-purpose room to the Bay Minette facility.

"font-size: small;">“What we

are going to construct is an indoor facility similar to the one

that built at Foley High School,” said Baldwin County School Board

District 2 Rep. Robert Wills in a telephone

interview.

"font-size: small;">He

explained that the facility, which will be equipped with

astro-turf, will serve as an indoor athletic

field.

"font-size: small;">“It will be

lined off like a football field,” Wills said. “But so many of the

other kids will use it.”

"font-size: small;">In addition

to the school football team, groups anticipated to benefit from the

facility include the BCHS Band, the Tigerettes and the school’s

soccer team.

"font-size: small;">“But it’s

going to be something for a lot of the groups in the community to

utilize,” Wills said.

"font-size: small;">Pointing to

BCHS serving as the launch point of the school system’s Digital

Renaissance, he said this addition to the school could prove to be

beneficial.

"font-size: small;">“I’m

excited about it,” Wills said, “and I think it’ll be a real boost

ot the school and the community.”

"font-size: small;">He

estimated the price tag of the project to be approximately

$800,000. During the school board’s regular meeting last week, it

approved $689,874 in Enhancement funding for it.

"font-size: small;">According

to Wills, that funding was part of a $1 million allocation that was

presented to each feeder pattern several years

ago.

"font-size: small;">“Here, we

tried to utilize it for a football stadium at the high school,

which would also serve the entire county,” he

said.

"font-size: small;">But once

more than $300,000 was spent at the planning stages, that project

failed to come to fruition when the then members of the school

board, Baldwin County Commission and Bay Minette City Council did

not reach agreement.

"font-size: small;">“It’s (the

Enhancement funding) been in the capital account since that time,”

Wills said.

"font-size: small;">He

explained that when the stadium plans were put on hold, it took a

while to decide on another way to spend the

funds.

"font-size: small;">“I don’t

believe Robertsdale and Foley have spent their funding, either,”

Wills said.

"font-size: small;">The school

board representative met with north Baldwin County school

principals last spring to discuss how the funds could best be used.

That’s when the decision was made to build the indoor

facility.

"font-size: small;">“All the

kids at those schools would end up coming to the high school,”

Wills said.

"font-size: small;">Since the

approved funding only pays for part of the project, the balanced

will be split between fundraising and the school board’s capital

fund.

"font-size: small;">According

to Wills, the next step to making the facility a reality is to open

bidding on the project.

"font-size: small;">“All the

expenditures will have to be run through the central (school board)

office,” he said. “We could have plans within the next several

months.”

"font-size: small;">However,

the county commission is lending a hand on the

endeavor.

"font-size: small;">“The county

is helping with site-work,” Wills said.

"font-size: small;">If there

are no delays, he expects the project to be completed fairly

quickly.

"font-size: small;">“We’d like

to have it (the facility) in place by the time school starts next

year,” Wills said.