Ground broken for Health and Wellness Complex at FCHS

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  • Fannin County school board Vice Chairman Mike Cole, right, hears what Fannin County Rebel baseball players have to say about the new facilities. Shown with Cole are, from left, Carter Fox, Christian Beavers (hidden behind Carter), Gaige Foster, Bryce Burnette, and Cole Stevenson.
    Fannin County school board Vice Chairman Mike Cole, right, hears what Fannin County Rebel baseball players have to say about the new facilities. Shown with Cole are, from left, Carter Fox, Christian Beavers (hidden behind Carter), Gaige Foster, Bryce Burnette, and Cole Stevenson.
  • Darren Danner, director of operations for Fannin County schools, goes over the plans for the new baseball facilities at the Health and Wellness Center complex with players and coaches, from left, Cole Stevenson, Carter Fox, Christian Beavers, coach Cline Bowers, Danner (partially hidden) and head coach Travis Stone. This preview was part of a ground breaking for the facility last Thursday.
    Darren Danner, director of operations for Fannin County schools, goes over the plans for the new baseball facilities at the Health and Wellness Center complex with players and coaches, from left, Cole Stevenson, Carter Fox, Christian Beavers, coach Cline Bowers, Danner (partially hidden) and head coach Travis Stone. This preview was part of a ground breaking for the facility last Thursday.

    “Our school system is our community and our community is our school system,” Shannon Dillard-Millard said to kickoff off the groundbreaking for the new Fannin County High School (FCHS) Health and Wellness Center.

    It was for that reason she viewed the groundbreaking not so much about construction, but as recognizing the dreams, future and legacy to be realized by the multi-use complex.

    Dillard-Miller, school superintendent, spoke to a crowd of educators, students and community leaders gathered on the high school campus Thursday morning, October 5.

    The complex will include new softball and baseball fields, concession stands and press boxes. Elevated bleachers will line the artificial-turf-covered fields. An indoor batting facility, updated tennis courts, restrooms and dressing rooms are also part of the project.

    Planning for the complex will include a multi-use building large enough to house a football field.

    The overall project includes a new CTAE building that will house all the HOSA classes, audio and visual classes, engineering,  and other program-related classes. This new building will allow for the current CTAE building to be reworked to provide more space to auto mechanics, construction and welding.

    Darren Danner, the school system’s chief operations officer, said once the sports complex part of the overall plan is complete, not only will Fannin be envied by other school systems, “we’re going to be envied by some colleges.

    Dillard-Miller talked about the importance of sports to students, telling of countless stories she has heard of Fannin coaches helping students with problems that go past the extracurricular activities.

    She praised the coaches for “the tireless amount of time they put into our kids.”

    FCHS Principal Scott Ramsey expressed thanks for the facility because “it gets all our students on this campus.” Currently, baseball and softball teams have to travel to other locations to play and practice. Staying on campus improves their safety.

    School Board Chairman Terry Bramlett reminded everyone that the Health and Wellness Complex, like so many other improvements to the school system, hinges on the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for Education (E-SPLOST).

    The ballfields and related improvements will be paid for with the current E-SPLOST.

    The new CTAE building and related educational improvements hinge on voters casting “Yes” votes in the November 7 election to extend the current SPLOST.

    “SPLOST is the vehicle” that drives the funding, Bramlett said.

    State Representative Johnny Chastain praised “the leadership and everyone in the whole community for backing these projects.”

    He also echoed Danner’s remarks, saying that as he travels across Georgia he is consistently asked, “How do ya’ll do that?,” referring to the many improvements the county and school system make thanks to SPLOST.

    Dillard-Miller concluded, “The community’s heart is just huge.”