RCSD Board Approves Capital School Improvement Projects

Jul. 19, 2023

BRANDON – The Rankin County School District Board of Trustees last month approved capital improvement projects at a number of schools that will be funded with the proceeds from a three-mill note.

“With the support of Dr. Rimes and the board’s approval, we are excited for the opportunity to complete these projects,” RCSD Deputy Superintendent Shane Sanders said. “This provides a great opportunity to update some of the facilities on the high school campuses.”

One some of the campuses multiple projects are planned. Sanders explained that the district would look at the current conditions of the facilities on those campuses to schedule the work to avoid creating congestion for the contractors. Sanders added that the athletic field lighting projects would involve removing wooden poles and replace them with metal poles that have LED fixtures. In instances the fields already have metal or concrete poles, the lights would be retrofitted with LED lighting.
At Florence High, the wooden poles on the baseball and softball fields will be removed and replaced with metal poles that have LED fixtures.

McLaurin High School baseball field will be retrofitted with new LED fixtures.

At Pisgah High, the wooden poles on the baseball field will be removed and replaced with metal poles that have LED fixtures.

At Northwest Rankin High, the lights on the softball field will be replaced with metal poles with LED fixtures.

At Pelahatchie High, the lights on the baseball and football fields will be replaced with metal poles with LED fixtures.

At Puckett High, the baseball and softball lights will be upgraded with metal poles and LED fixtures.

Richland High will receive the new LED fixtures on its baseball field.

In additional to the lighting projects, Puckett High and Pisgah High will get new press boxes on their football fields. Sanders said the press boxes would have three bays with a film deck on top. He anticipated that the new press boxes would be bid out in the fall and work would begin after soccer season.

At Pisgah High, bleacher renovations will be done on the home side of the football field to increase seating capacity.

Brandon High’s baseball field is set to undergo some improvements, including an upgraded entry at the baseball field as well as press box renovations.

Turf projects are planned for the football fields at Florence and Richland high schools. Sanders indicated that these projects would be bid out in late November or early December. The goal is to have these projects done for the 2024 football seasons.