Corbin Career Center bond sale better than expected

Last Thursday’s bond sale to fund construction of the new Corbin Career Center resulted in better interest rates than school officials expected.

Twenty-six employees of the Corbin Independent School District retired in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Because of the pandemic, the district was unable to celebrate the retirees, so they recognized all 26 during Thursday’s board meeting.

The winning bid carried a 2.024 percent net interest cost, which is a low interest rate and less than expected. The winning bidder didn’t take the full bond discount, which will result in an additional $72,000 for the contingency fund, Superintendent Dave Cox told the Corbin Board of Education during June 17 monthly meeting.

“That just means there is more equipment that we can buy for inside,” Cox noted.

The site is fully mobilized with the construction fence in place. A total of 32 caisson foundations have been installed completing the caisson foundation system.

The Corbin City Utility Commission is in the process of installing new three phase electric poles and wiring.

“Folks in town are seeing what is going on and are saying what is going on down there? What are you building?” Cox said. “100 percent of the people I talk to said, ‘thank goodness you are addressing the construction trades.’”

The 9,100 square foot building will include two classrooms and a lab to permit the instruction of students in the construction trades. School officials plan to start teaching plumbing and HVAC in the new building, which is expected to be completed by August 2022.

“This is something that is going to be a good thing for a lot of kids,” Cox added.

Also, during the meeting, the board:

• Recognized 26 retirees, who retired either in 2019, 2020 or 2021. Because of the pandemic, school officials were unable to honor last year’s retirees with a ceremony so they were invited back this year.

“This night for us is very bitter sweet,” noted Board Chairwoman Kim Croley. “The organizational memory and the love of students that leaves us every year when our retirees go is a loss that we can never replace, but we hope that those of us left behind can learn from your legacy.”

The list of retirees include John Schmitt, Kathy Pyles, Deanna Darr, Ann Jewell, Georgia Howard, Kay Philpot, Earlene Hicks, Mary Jackson, Michele Anderson, Burton Richardson, Sherry McHargue, Jorita Addington, Heather Rice, Teresa Bowman, Janice Ball, Jana Carnes, Peggy Collins, LaJeanne Jones, Karen Anderson, Barbara Scharr, Patty Venable, Kim Stewart, Lisa Hill, John Crawford, Nicole Brock and Carolyn Garr.

• Discussed a recent visit by the Impetus group out of Louisville, which is made up of a group of influential Louisville business people and educators, including the presidents of the University of Louisville and Bellarmine University.

Corbin Elementary School Assistant Principal Liberty Roberts accepted the Difference Maker Award on behalf of the school.

Cox was one of a handful of local leaders in addition to Corbin Mayor Suzie Razmus, Economic Development Director Bruce Carpenter, Forcht Group of Kentucky Founder, CEO, and Chairman Terry Forcht, his wife, Marion Forcht, and Baptist Health Corbin President Anthony Powers, who accompanied the group on a bus tour that they took through Corbin on June 15.

The group visited Manchester and Corbin at the request of Senate President Robert Stivers.

Cox said that some in the group are apparently interested in investing some money in some smaller towns and they wanted to hear about healthcare and education on the tour.

Cox said that after the tour, University of Louisville President Neeli Bendapudi noted that she was very impressed.

“She said, ‘I’ve heard a lot about Corbin, but I can see why all the confidences I have heard are true. It is very impressive,’” Cox noted.

Croley said that the University of Louisville has great academics and more Rhodes scholars than all of the other Kentucky universities combined.

Cox added that he has invited Terry Forcht to attend the July 8 Corbin Board of Education meeting in order to thank him for his recent donation of the Hacker Building to the school district.

• Presented its Difference Maker Award to a school for the first time rather than an individual or group. Corbin Elementary School received the Difference Maker Award. “This is an awesome recognition,” said Assistant Principal Liberty Roberts, who accepted the award on behalf of the school. “Everybody just stepped up and did what they needed to do.”