After negotiations with the Troy City Council, the Troy City Board of Education’s purchase of a new central office is now official.

For $500,000 and some property owned by the BOE, Troy City Schools will take the keys to what once stood as the Army Reserve Center on Highway 87.

While school systems are still faced with tough times, Superintendent Linda Felton-Smith said the money to purchase the building comes as part of a $2.1 million bond issued from the state.

With that, the school board will not just find a new central office home. They will also renovate the Charles Henderson High School gym, as well as make renovations at Charles Henderson Middle School and Troy Elementary School.

The board authorized Felton-Smith in its board meeting Monday to continue property negotiations to close the transaction. One of the pieces of property Felton-Smith said may be handed over is where the city school’s maintenance shop is now located.

School Board President Ron Pierce said this change in office locations is a much-needed move for the school system.

“If you take a tour, you can see how bad the walls are,” Pierce said. “We’ve got to get out of the building because of the condition of it.”

The current Central Office location, off of Elm Street, is owned by the city of Troy.

Pierce said that, along with cost effectiveness, is why the school system must move to make these renovations.

The funding for this, as well as the approved high school gym renovations, is earmarked specifically for capital projects and can not be used to offset proration cuts.

Felton-Smith did not say when she anticipates the renovations to begin on the central office, but the high school gym project should be completed by Aug. 10 for around $145,000.

The gym renovations will increase seating capacity to about 875 and have handicap seating.

The Troy BOE also:

-recognized Walter Childs with the STARS Award.

-adopted a textbook policy for new language arts books, though it will not be able to purchase them this year.

-approved a one-year contract to continue working with the Strategic Plan consultant.

-heard about the NEO2 program in the academic report.