The Henry County Board of Education voted at its August 12 regular meeting to approve a $5,177,000 bid for a multi-purpose gym addition at Hampton High School. The low bidder was MEJA Construction Co. and the project is part of the school district’s SPLOST program.

  District construction director Josh Malcom told the board that the multi-purpose addition is almost the same as what all existing high schools are receiving as part of the SPLOST initiative. The exception is the strings room addition, which is not necessary in this case because it was completed when the school was built. Before the McDonough High School campus opened in the last month, Hampton was the district’s new high school campus.

  The board also approved an easement request from Bellsouth Communications regarding Oakland Elementary School. The company requested access to a five-foot strip of land from the public right-of-way on Hwy. 81 to an existing utility light pole. This will allow small AT&T wireless equipment to be placed on the pole for increased wireless capabilities.

  When asked the location of the project, Malcom said it would be in the front of the school but the equipment is very small so not likely to be noticeable. The company plans to go underground to the pole and run the required wiring up from there, he said. There is nothing on the pole now.

  The latest request from a film company for use of school facilities was approved. District communications director J.D. Hardin told the board that Two Dollar Bill Pictures, Inc. had requested the use of a football practice field at either the Henry County Middle or Patrick Henry Academy campus sometime between August 25 and September 14. The company has already paid the required fee to the school system for this use, according to a staff report.

  Hardin said the company is planning to use the site for a feature film. The question arose as to whether any of the district’s new turf field surfaces would be used in situations such as this, and Hardin said that would not be the case. He said the district always tries to steer film companies to facilities that are devoid of students so that the educational routine is not disrupted. He said film company officials looked at both fields and both met with their approval.