- Which building plan to go with ?
- Should we put a bond levy on the ballot in November?
There will be further information forthcoming on this plan.This plan allows the district to build one building for K-8 as well as begin the refurbishing process on the existing high school. The existing high school is the only building in the district that complies with current Ohio School Standards. As shown here the building consists basically of two wings one for the lower grades and one for the upper grades housed on two floors. The athletic fields are not in the plan now but are on the drawing to show how things will fit and these can be developed later. Busses will be able to pick up and drop off students in two areas thus eliminating the comingling of older with younger students.
The number 2 question was so easy. Should the Board of Education put this to a vote in the November election. There were some outside factors. First there is a bill in the legislature that may eliminate special elections, limiting then number of times the issue could be put on the ballot. The other point of contention is that the Greenville Library is also asking for money on that election. Unfortunately, it will be listed as “”Greenville Schools Library” which could put a damper on the actual school issue. At any rate, the number 2 question passed so it will be on the November ballot if the board chooses to put it there.
All of this will be presented to the Board of Education at the May 24th meeting. It will then be up to them to move forward. This has all been a very positive experience for everyone involved. It has allowed a lot of people from all over the district to have input, understand what is going on and take things back to their neighbors. Feedback has been mostly positive. Now comes the job of educating everyone in the district on the project.
To keep things in perspective, this year marks the 100th birthday of the South School. No one is around who built it to celebrate. Let’s hope that is true of the new building in 100 years.
More later on funding, the campaign and other issues of building a new building.
I would be interested to hear why a new 7-12 building isn't the better option. Refurbish the existing high school and prepare it for K-6.
ReplyDeleteIn a town like Greenville, a high school becomes very much the focal point of the community. It draws people in for all sorts of functions and activities that are ancillary to the primary purpose of the building. In that way, everyone gets a direct benefit from the existence of the new facility.
Additionally, the cutting-edge technology and the improved technological infrastructure that would come with a new high school seem much more appropriate for the more complex and intricate types of instruction required by older students. From the improved athletic facilities, to the upgrade in the facilities used for performing arts, it just seems like a new high school would be so much more appropriate if we are only going to get one new building.
And the thing is -- and I'm pretty active in the community -- this is a commonly held opinion amongst the people of Greenville.
So why not a new high school? And please don't say it's due to the same old tail wagging the same old dog (in other words, because of the CT building). Enough already with the CT building being the determining factor of all decisions regarding the high school.
All of your points are valid and right on. They were also brought up in the facilities meetings and hashed over and over. Initially it looked like refurbishing the existing high school might be a viable option. There is no doubt that a new high school would be a very good thing. In looking into this possibility we found that some of the initial problems would come from having to replace lots of things, like lowering toilets and making sure that little people could function in a building built for big people. Actually the plans for a new High School included the new CT building. Since there is little option on modern technology, a lot of it has been added to the old buildings. The stopping point in the Jr. High and South and East is when walls need to be breached to run wires etc. All of the new technology existing in the present buildings will be pooled and added to the high school or used for replacements when something fails. You are right that sending a kid to a high tech elementary building seems not too bright to then send them to an older high school. The refurbish money included in the proposal for the K-8 building is for the high school. There will be some cosmetic work to the outside but not at the expense of what is really needed on the inside. With the dollars available from the state and our desire to keep any additional millage below a certain level, it just made sense to go this way. As time goes on, the savings realized by the lowered operational costs on the new building should give the district funds to continue to upgrade the high school.
ReplyDeleteThis wasn't an easy decision by any means and it certainly wasn't made lightly. A new high school sure looked good, the money end of it just didn't add up in the end.
This was an excellent, well thought out question and exactly the kind that we need. I hope that I answered it and if I didn't, let me know and I'll get more information. Some of the work on refurb at the high school is already starting with money that was set aside in previous years. Most notably is that gymnasium at the high school is getting a new floor and bleachers this summer. All of the lighting has already been updated as well as the boilers. This sort of proves the point that the newer buildings are more able to be upgraded when needed. The current administration is working toward making the existing high school the focal point of the system. Because of good stewardship on this building, it should last a long time and continue to be upgraded as needed. The addition of a new K-8 building will lower operating costs per square foot and give our kids a good foundation.
Please check out a different slant on the subject at Darke Journal. http://www.darkejournal.com/2011/05/additional-information-and-thoughts.html#comment-form
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