Andalusia Board of Education member Joe Nix last night asked fellow board members to allow a second architectural firm to look at Andalusia Middle School and present possible renovation ideas.

In January, architect Joe Donofro of Donofro and Associates presented cost estimates for a total renovation of the AMS building, as well as estimates for the construction of new facilities on the elementary school campus and the high school campus if the board choosing to leave the current AMS location.

Nix said it was his understanding from Donofo’s presentation that if the board decided to renovate the existing building, they would have to bring the whole building up to code.

“That’s not true,” he said.

He said after talking with a firm from Albany, Ga., he also checked with the state building commission and learned that if one wing were renovated, the whole school would not have to be brought to current code, governed by the International Building Code of 2009. Other parts are grandfathered in, he said.

Nix spoke with a representative of the firm at a school board related meeting in Ozark recently, and had exchanged emails with them. The firm would not charge for the evaluation, he said.

Board members encouraged Nix to have the firm work with Superintendent Ted Watson to arrange the evaluation.