The Walker County Board of Education has approved a contractor to build the new Dora High School.
On Tuesday, December 10, a $45,360,000 bid submitted by Clements Dean Building Company, LLC for the construction of the new Dora High and renovation of the current school building was approved. They were the lowest responsible bidder for the project.
Clements Dean is based in Wilsonville, Alabama. They have completed many projects for schools, universities, municipalities and companies. Buildings completed by the company include Cordova City Hall and Police Station, Bessemer Public Library, Crossville Elementary School, UAB Lister Hill Library, Erwin Elementary and Bessemer High School – just to name a long list.
The school board's agenda for the Dec. 10 meeting said the approved bid for the new Dora High was a “renovation and expansion.” Walker County Schools Superintendent Dr. Dennis Willingham, clarified after the meeting, “Our plans include renovating the current Dora High School so we can move the middle school. The 'addition' is the new Dora High School, which will be built and added on.” The property will be located on the field in front of the current Dora High School.
In November, a contractor received approval to also build the new Cordova Elementary School. Vestavia Hills-based Stone Building Company was the lowest bidder and will complete the project. Willingham told the Daily Mountain Eagle that the total cost of the Cordova Elementary project is $24,809,374.
Stone Building Company has other school projects in store, including the Riverchase Career Connection Center for Hoover City Schools and Mountain Brook High School.
Construction on Dora High and Cordova elementary schools is expected to begin in the 2024-25 school year.
In recent weeks, work has been underway to create a new parking lot for Cordova Elementary School in preparation for construction of the new school on the site of the current parking lot.
In other business at the school board meeting:
• A motion was passed to authorize the school system to enter into a memorandum of agreement with the INK Head Start program. Willingham later told the Eagle that INK had asked to renovate and occupy an old church building (Curry United Methodist Church) on the Curry Schools property to use for Head Start services.
The school system received the property at the end of 2021. Use of the property was not yet complete at that time; However, officials originally said the building could be useful in addressing overcrowding in the lower grades.
• Board members heard Willingham announce that the school system received a special education grant of more than $500,000 and an English Learner Assistant Teacher Grant of $150,000.
