The Caswell County Board of Education voted late Monday to begin negotiations with Doggett Architects on the replacement for Dillard Junior High. Dillard remains in good shape, but roof repairs are needed as well as an elevator and accessible restrooms for the disabled so that the school meets the Americans with Disabilities Act regulations. Monday's meeting, which included more than three hours in closed session, concluded with the board voting to engage in discussion with Doggett Architects. Doggett was one of five architectural firms to interview with the board about the proposed project. Superintendent C. Louis McGee did not recommend any single firm for the project, instead bringing in five candidates from which to choose.
State law prohibits school boards from asking for prices on projects.
Instead, a board must interview representatives of the architects and possibly talk with superintendents and administrators from other schools systems that have had work done by the prospective architects. What that means is the Caswell County Board of Education could not solicit prices from the five applicants. Instead, board members had to pick one to begin discussion on a contract for the new middle school. The board was not overly enthused with having to choose an architectural firm Monday, but several members had noted that the system must get started to not fall behind other systems. The Rev. Haywood Gray, however, was not so sure the board should go ahead and begin negotiations with Doggett Architects.