The Cherokee County School Board will discuss pre-qualifying contractors at Tuesday’s meeting before the bid process begins for its new $33.3 million building program.

After difficult experiences with first-time contractors at Gaffney High and Alma Elementary, Cherokee County is following the lead of other districts in pre-qualifying contractors. Only contractors meeting minimum criteria established by the district will be allowed to bid on the district’s new school building projects.

“We want to pre-qualify contractors so we can make sure we have reputable contractors working on our new school building projects,” school board chairperson Sandra Greene said.

Trustees will discuss the minimum at Tuesday’s board meeting.

The projects are currently scheduled to be bid within the next year. The project list includes Blacksburg and Gaffney High ninth grade additions, a Gaffney High football stadium, a Limestone Learning Center, a 6-classroom addition at Goucher Elementary and a new Blacksburg High field house and stadium upgrade.

A Blacksburg High ninth grade addition and stadium upgrade will be the first building projects under construction.

The district plans to open bids for the Blacksburg High addition in mid-April, according to a proposed schedule by Southern Management. Construction would begin in June of 2006.

The district could move into the Blacksburg High classroom and stadium additions by May of 2007.

The Goucher Elementary addition and Gaffney High stadium would be bid in September of 2006 followed by Limestone Learning Center in November, according to the schedule. Design work on the Gaffney High ninth grade addition would begin this month with the project ready for bid next November.

The Gaffney High ninth grade addition and a new Gaffney High stadium are both tentatively scheduled for completion in June of 2007.