Savannah-Chatham public school officials staged a groundbreaking ceremony Friday morning to mark the beginning of construction of the new Heard Elementary School at 414 Lee Blvd.
Click here to view a slideshow of photos from the groundreaking
Funding for the project comes from the special purpose sales tax known as ESPLOST II that funds capital improvement projects for the school system.
The project includes construction of a new 12-classroom wing addition, canopy and sidewalk; relocation of playground equipment; demolition of portables and old playground equipment.
Originally, the ESPLOST plan included $3,963,712 for Heard Elementary. The school was to get a $2,450,000 building addition, a heating and air system, Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades, fencing, painting, a classroom and several other campus improvements.
But In July 2012, district officials realized they were $16 million short of what was needed to complete several remaining projects, including the addition at Heard. Work was deferred and district officials made plans to use money from a five-year extension of sales tax collections — ESPLOST II — to restore those funds to Heard.
The ESPLOST II budget includes $7,122,973 for Heard, including $3,905,473 to make up for what Heard did not receive in ESPLOST I.