PHILADELPHIA — Lundy Brantley is excited about some new projects for the Neshoba County School District this school year.

The district has two major projects on tap, which include building a new cafeteria that will act as safe room and starting renovations on its football stadium.

The building, which will be able to sustain winds up to 250 mph, will be located behind the new high school. 

In June, the district was awarded a FEMA grant to build the cafeteria. The district is in phase 1 of the project, which includes architectural and engineering plans.

“Right now we are finishing up the process of getting an architect on board, we have to get the committee together with our board,” said Brantley.

Brantley said safety is a priority for the district, adding that students will not be very far from the school if a tornado does hit. 

“It will be a shorter distance for students,” said Brantley.

The safe room is expected to be completed in June 2019. 

The district is also planning on renovating its football stadium. Brantley said the new stadium is part of the 2015 bond issue that helped pay for the new high school.

The district is in the bidding process of looking for contractors to take on the project, he said. 

The district will start to advertise for bids in late August and want to have them approved in 30 days. Brantley said he hopes by late September to early October they will have bidders. 

The bidders will have to agree with the district architect on what the stadium will look like. The architect lays out a package which includes designs, a topography study and demolition.

The new renovations will include the switching the bleachers on the home and visitors’ sides and putting up new lights.

The upgrades are expected to begin once football season is over, with the total cost estimated to be from $800,000 to $900,000.