Hunt campus rebuild groundbreaking on the horizon

An "early summer" groundbreaking is expected for renovations to the Hunt campus on 20th Street North, Columbus Municipal School District board president Telisa Young told The Dispatch after a trustees meeting Tuesday.

The district will use a combination of insurance settlement and federal and state emergency management funds toward an estimated $16.5 million project to essentially rebuild the four-building complex on 20th Street North that was badly damaged by an EF-3 tornado in February 2019.

When work is complete, it will house CMSD sixth-graders, as well as have space for career and technical classes and R.E. Hunt Museum on local African American history.

"We're so happy to be on to the next chapter for Hunt," Young said. "… I'm so excited and happy because it has such a rich history for this community. I know all of us in this community — if you were raised here, born here — all of us mostly have several generations of family who have gone through that building. So the tradition, the legacy and the heritage there is really rich. I know people are waiting eagerly. It's going to mean a lot for our kids."

The board on April 4 approved bids for the Hunt work, which came to roughly $16.5 million. Some of the insurance money has already been spent to reroof the building, among other projects, CMSD Public Information Officer Mary Pollitz said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is providing $10.3 million toward the renovations, with Mississippi Emergency Management Agency pitching in $1.7 million. The district also has $5.6 million from a settlement with Middlesex Insurance Company and another $1.8 million of its own funds dedicated to the Hunt rebuild — for a total of $19.4 million from all four sources.

Middlesex sued the district in March 2020, claiming it was only entitled to $4.8 million based on its coverage. CMSD had pressed Middlesex for $14 million.

Originally, FEMA only quoted the district $1.6 million for Hunt, but project architect Taylor Guild III, with Biloxi-based Eley Guild Hardy Architects, worked with FEMA to get that quote increased.

Interim superintendent Craig Chapman told The Dispatch the priority for the rebuild is to house the district's sixth grade students, but he still wants the building to be something for the community.

"Looking forward, we plan to make sure the Hunt development is a community center for all stakeholders involved," Chapman said in the email. "We may look into providing those workforce and teacher development programs, but right now the priority is to rebuild the Hunt building and prepare to rehouse the sixth-grade students."

Superintendent search update

Applications for CMSD's vacant superintendent position closed March 17, and Mississippi School Boards Association — the firm leading the search — plans to present the board with a passel finalists later this month.

Tommye Henderson, MSBA's superintendent search manager, will speak with the board during a special-call meeting at 5 p.m. April 28 at Brandon Central Services.

"They have to give us a full report on the candidates that applied, and they're going to vet them," Young said. "They've already had their interviews. We don't know at this time who has applied or even the number that's applied, so they're going to come on the 28th to give us an update."

Since former Superintendent Cherie Labat resigned in August, two interim superintendents have served the district — Dennis Dupree and Chapman.

Dupree was appointed the interim superintendent after Labat's resignation. He took over at the beginning of September, and due to him being a retiree, his contract was for 117 days, which ended March 19.

Chapman, who previously served as an assistant superintendent, was appointed by the board to serve as interim superintendent beginning March 20 until June 30 or until a full-time superintendent is hired.

Pollitz said she expects how many applicants and who has applied to be topics of conversation during Henderson's presentation at the end of the month.

The Dispatch reached out to Henderson for comment but did not hear back by press time.

The post Hunt campus rebuild groundbreaking on the horizon appeared first on The Dispatch.