By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – The old Thompson High School soon will receive some appearance and functionality upgrades in preparation to house Thompson Middle School this fall, as the Alabaster Board of Education voted recently to approve two more renovation projects for the building.

During a Jan. 18 special-called meeting, School Board members voted unanimously to approve a $49,380 bid to install decorative stone column wraps at several locations around the outside of the school building, and voted to approve a $45,286 bid to complete sealcoating and striping of parking and drive areas around the school.

The two renovation bids came a few days after the School Board voted to approve several other bids for projects at the former THS. On Jan. 14, the board approved a $49,690 bid to remove old marker and tack boards from throughout the old THS, a $29,621 bid to paint the inside of the building after removing the old tack and marker boards, a $30,107 bid to redo signage throughout the inside of the building, an $11,109 bid to move furniture while the projects are being completed and a $79,050 bid to purchase new marker and tack boards for the school’s classrooms.

Crews are already working to install VCT floor tile and repaint portions of the building, after the BOE approved a $563,855 bid to the Williford-Orman construction company during a special-called Sept. 28, 2018, meeting.

The old THS building has been vacant since students moved into the new THS campus in February 2018. Once the renovations are completed, Alabaster City Schools will be able to enact its plan to move school campuses beginning with the fall 2019 semester.

ACS is planning to move Thompson Middle School and Thompson Sixth Grade Center into the old THS building and then move Thompson Intermediate School into the current TMS building. The current Thompson Intermediate School will be renovated to serve as central office space for the school system.

The school moves originally were planned to take place in August after renovations were completed last summer, but the scope of the renovations to the old THS building were much more extensive than originally estimated, ACS leaders said previously.