The Daily Citizen, Dalton, GA

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  • Misty Watson/ The Daily Citizen Alice Squillario speaks with Randall Maret about their time together on the Dalton Board of Education during a reception Monday at the central office.

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  • Misty Watson/ The Daily Citizen Bill Steve, a former Dalton Board of Education member, speaks with people during a reception at the central office on Monday.

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March 9, 2010

School board says farewell to former post office

Rachel Brown Dalton Daily Citizen

DALTON — Frank W. Thomason grew up in Dalton and used to make runs to the building at 100 S. Hamilton St. when it was still a post office.

“I never thought I would have an office here and be superintendent,” said Thomason, who was superintendent of Dalton Schools from 1986-1996.

Now, the building is about to change hands again.

Thomason was one of about 10 former superintendents and school board members who attended a reception Monday just before the Dalton Board of Education’s final meeting in the building.

The school administrative offices are moving to Dalton City Hall and the next board meeting will be held in the council chambers.

The building the town’s post office from 1909-1966 and was the school system’s central office from 1967 until now. The school system is swapping the building to the city of Dalton in exchange for 5.2 acres at the corner of Waugh Street and Jones Street, which they plan to develop several years from now.

Superintendent Jim Hawkins said the move saves the school district from having to pay potentially $500,000 to replace the building’s aging roof. The superintendent’s office and several other administrative offices are in the process of moving to City Hall. Officials expect the move to be complete by mid-April.

Alice Squillario served for 15 years on the board while her three daughters were in school.

“We built the high school while I was on the board, which was a very state-of-the-art high school at the time, and still is to me,” she said. “We didn’t really have any major problems then. It was just a wonderful experience.”

Before the school district moved into the former post office, the administrative offices were in the old Dalton High School across from the principal’s office, said Charlie Bowen, superintendent from 1968-1975. Dalton High was near where City Park School is now.

Current board chairman Steve Williams presented former members and superintendents with Christmas decorations that are replicas of the building and copies of the meeting minutes from Oct. 9, 1967 — the first board meeting held in the building.

At that time, the annual budget was $2,492,118. Today, it is nearly $60 million.

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