By KATIE HURST/ Lifestyles Editor

CALERA – The Shelby County Board of Education hopes to open the previous Shelby Academy property as a Calera middle school by the fall of 2012 after recently closing on the purchase, said Superintendent Randy Fuller.

The board of education paid the Shelby Academy Board $1.3 million for the school’s property and buildings.

The property consists of 34 acres, a school building with 16 classrooms, a science lab, a library, a gym and athletic fields.

Fuller said the board is now attempting to secure some bonds and utilize tax revenue funding to renovate the buildings.

“The Shelby County Board of Education plans to renovate the existing buildings on this property and build new additions to utilize it as a middle school in the Calera school zone,” Fuller said. “The Calera zone is one of our school system’s growth areas, with the City of Calera being the fastest growing city in the state.”

The renovation is currently in the planning stage, Fuller said. The board is accessing other middle schools to determine what updates the Shelby Academy building might need. Additional classrooms are part of the plan for the building, Fuller said.

“Hopefully, provided that everything falls into place, we hope to open the school in the fall of 2012,” he said.