By BETH ALSTON
beth.alston@
americustimesrecorder.com
www.americustimesrecorder.com

AMERICUS — In a split vote at a called meeting on Monday, the Sumter County Board of Education chose Buckley & Associates as the architectural for the new high school project.
Edith Green made the motion for Buckley and was seconded by Alice Green. Both Greens, Jim Reid and Rick Barnes voted yes while Sylvia Roland voted no and Meda Krenson abstained. Chairman Mike Busman voted with the majority.
At called meeting earlier this month, the board had decided to delay selecting the architectural firm until after they made site visits to schools designed by all three of top candidate firms: Buckley & Associates from Albany; Manley Spangler Smith Architects from Griffin; and Studio 8 from Valdosta which had partnered with Perkins and Wills from Atlanta for the project. The board had previously heard presentations from each of the three.
At Monday’s called meeting, Krenson, who is an architect, commented, prior to the vote, “We recently had the opportunity to be proud of a hometown person coaching our state championship basketball team; we should be equally as proud of a hometown person among the top three competing for this job, and one that could convince the number one architectural firm in the country on education design, to partner with him on this project.” Krenson referred to Matt Hart of Studio 8 who is a graduate of Americus High School.
Buckley & Associates has done architectural work for the school system for a decades.