GLASGOW — Building projects, including a new technology facility, were the focus of the Barren County Schools Board of Education at its meeting Thursday.

The board approved several design drawings for the anticipated Career and Technical Education facility, which the district hopes to begin construction on in November, though a request for bids has not yet been issued.

Superintendent Bo Matthews said the facility will enhance the high school campus’ current Area Technology Center.

“It’s going to be state of the art,” he said. “We’re going to bring ‘Star Trek’ to Barren County.”

The facility will include an efficient geothermal heating and cooling system that will double as a tool for teaching scientific concepts, according to Craig Thomas of RBS Design Group, the firm that produced the drawings.

“(It) will pay dividends for the district in operating costs over time, so it will pay for itself,” he said.

The facility will include six classrooms and four labs, including a robotics lab, and will teach skills in a variety of fields, such as information technology, culinary arts and health science.

Matthews said the facility is expected to cost roughly $9 million.

The board announced that Alliance Corp. has begun the process of renovating the art room at Barren County High School.

Tommy Gumm, the founder and CEO of Alliance, said the company has removed the floor tiles in the room and ordered windows for it.

“We’re not going to start any work going back until we get the new windows in and I don’t have a delivery date on that yet,” he said.

Alliance will probably tear out the ceiling tiles next week and hopes to do most, if not all, of the renovations over fall break, Gumm said.

Art classes are taking place in another part of the building, Matthews said.

“We’re having them meet in another room in the high school this year while this renovation takes place and once we get everything reset and finished, we’ll move them back in,” he said.

The art room was identified as an area in need of updates in a district facility plan, Matthews said. Updates will include more windows to provide better lighting, cabinets, shelving and stronger desks.

The Daily News reported Aug. 5 that the total cost of the art room’s renovation is expected to be roughly $59,000.

Matthews also announced that the renovations of Red Cross Elementary are almost done, with the school itself and its new parking lot being fully functional.

“The renovations are outstanding,” he said. “Several folks were just amazed at what they came back and saw that had happened since the last day of school.”

There is still some re-striping that needs to be completed on the new blacktop and some pieces of trim that need to be installed in the school but otherwise, the renovations – which included a new computer lab, six new classrooms and a new access road to alleviate congestion on Ky. 1297 – are complete.

Seeing the new parking lot for the first time before the meeting Thursday, Matthews said people picking students up aren’t accustomed to the new lot or the access road yet.

“We still have some work to do in terms of navigating the new access points around the building and basically educating everyone that picks up and drops off at the campus,” he said.

The school board also approved the compensating property tax rate. Finance director Joe Murley said the increase is from 64.2 cents for every $100 of assessed value to 65.1 cents for every $100, but that the amount people will pay will stay the same because property values have fallen.

— Follow Daily News reporter Jackson French on Twitter @Jackson_French or visit bgdailynews.com.