Brushy School in Need of Early Childhood Center

Voters in the Brushy School District will go to the polls on Tuesday to vote on a $380,000 bond the school district is requesting to build an Early Childhood Center.

Greg Reynolds, school superintendent, said the center is badly needed due to enrollment growth at the school.

“We’ve run out of space because we’ve grown so much,” Reynolds said. “We had to cancel one of our early childhood classes because we didn’t have enough room.”

The ballot asks for a $380,000 bond issue to build a 6,700-square-foot Early Childhood Center. Reynolds said the building will be free standing, and plans are to build it at the back of the school campus. The center will house the preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds, and kindergarten classes for five-year-olds.

Reynolds said the building will house about 80 students and will free up four classrooms in the main building.

“In the last two years we had to have early childhood classes in the library,” Reynolds said, “and we had to cancel one.”

He said currently the nurse, resource officer and reading specialist must share a workroom, and counselors are interrupted many times while working with students due to a lack of adequate meeting places.

Student enrollment has gown about 70 percent over the last decade, Reynolds said.

Reynolds said, “The school has a good relationship with the community, which has free access to the ballfields walking track, cafeteria, gymnasium, wrestling mats and fitness center. The school often partners with the Brushy Fire Department, Brushy Fire Corps and the Brushy Community Center for training, fundraisers and community events.”

He said the school is now asking for the community’s support. The good news is, if approved, the bond will not add on to ad valorem taxes. The same tax amounts will simply be extended for 10 years.

The polling places for the election on Tuesday are at Calvary Temple in Marble City, the First Baptist Church in Akins and at Brushy School. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Sally Maxwell, Senior News Director

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