D
unbar Middle School will receive new auditorium seating, and a new cell phone tower will be installed at Sissonville High School, following the approval of both items by members of the Kanawha County Board of Education during their January 15 regularly scheduled meeting.
Board members approved nearly $205,000 for new seating in Dunbar Middle School’s auditorium. Funds for the new seating will come from additional levy funds already in the district’s budget.
KCS Superintendent Dr. Paula Potter said the current seats were several years old and in “great need” of replacement.
New cell tower
Members of the board also approved a lease with Milestone Towers for the use of a plot of land at Sissonville High School. The company will install a new cell tower on the site.
Milestone Towers develops and manages wireless properties throughout the Mid-Atlantic, according to their website.
School officials said the new tower will benefit both the school and the surrounding community.
“This will help our first responders with more efficient cell phone coverage,” Potter said, adding that local citizens would also benefit from usage.
The tower also adds an additional source of income to the district’s budget.
“[Kanawha County Schools] will also receive some funding from this company for being on our land,” Potter said.
According to the lease agreement, Milestone Towers will pay the school district a one-time fee of $35,000 in exchange for site access. The company will also remit a 40 percent share of gross revenue to the school district each year.
Right now, the district expects to receive around $12,000 per year from the company. Monies received will go back into the district’s general budget.
