The administration of Nocona Independent School District hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 18 for the first of four building projects funded through a $19 million bond approved last November.
Board President Greg Fuller brought the welcome as members of the board and Superintendent Dr. David Waters donned their Nocona orange hard hats for the event. They tossed shovels of dirt at the site of the future location of the new gym.
At its October meeting the school board issued orders to proceed with the construction of the new competition gymnasium. The groundbreaking was at the corner of East Cottonwood and Grayson Streets.
They were strong bids as Architect C.W. Farris, Harper Perkins Architects said the bid package was within half of a percent of the budget estimate. The total came in under the $300 per square foot figure they had been using in this process.
The gym plans also have been modified somewhat as it started out at 19,000 square feet and moved to almost 22,000 square feet after addressing perceived shortages in the original locker room plans.
A new career and technology education center will be next up for bid with plans projected to be done in November followed by going out for bids.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.