Residents briefed on school plans

CELINA - Area residents met at Celina High School on Wednesday night to review eight proposed building project plans that could reshape the district's future.

Plans drafted by Fanning-Howey Associates are based on feedback from more than 1,400 survey respondents. Enrollment, which has declined from more than 3,000 in 2002 to just over 2,500 this school year, was a big factor in decision-making, superintendent Ken Schmiesing said.

He added the proposed project belongs to the community, not district officials, and urged residents to get involved and voice their opinions about the different plans.

One attendee said he believed a building project was necessary due to the poor condition of the aging elementary and other buildings.

Plans are still in the draft phase as square footage and costs have not been finalized, Schmiesing said. The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission will co-fund the projects, covering an estimated 44 percent of the project's total cost. Officials want to narrow the choices this summer to establish a master plan before seeking a bond levy.

Plans 1 and 2 include constructing a 115,921-square-foot building to house students in preschool through fourth grade. Grades 5-8 would be taught at a renovated intermediate school after a 26,830-square-foot expansion.

In plan 1, a new 128,703-square-foot high school would be built and the current building demolished. This would cost just under $85.8 million with a $55 million local share.

For plan 2, the current high school would be renovated and receive a 96,541-square-foot addition. This plan would cost $82.5 million with a $53.2 million local share.

Plans 1 and 2 both involve demolishing the primary, elementary and middle schools and the education complex.

These plans received positive feedback from attendees.

Plans 3 and 4 include a new 95,228-square-foot elementary school for grades pre-K-3. Grades 4-8 would all be housed in a renovated 48,317-square-foot intermediate school. These plans also include either a new 128,703-square-foot high school or a 95,541-square-foot addition to the existing building.

The plan including a new high school would cost $87.2 million with a $57.1 million local share, and the plan for renovating the current building would cost $84.3 million with a $55.5 million local share. The primary, elementary and middle schools and the education complex would be demolished in both plans 3 and 4.

A majority of attendees opposed either of these plans.

Plans 5 and 6 call for renovating the intermediate school with a 77,419-square-foot addition to house grades pre-K-6.

One version of the plan includes building a new 182,122-square-foot middle/high school at $82.2 million with a $54.9 million local share. The other plan includes renovating the high school, adding 149,364 square feet to house grades 7-12 at a cost of $81.1 million with a $55.1 million local share.

Forty-eight percent of attendees supported one of these plan - the most positive feedback of any of the plans.

These can be segmented into two phases that can be completed at different times. Work at the intermediate school could be completed first and then the high/middle school work could be done sometime later with a second bond issue. Renovating the intermediate school would cost $33.5 million with a $27.7 million local share.

Segmenting this plan was not received well by attendees, with 52 percent opposed. One attendee said he believed voters would be more likely to support one bond issue instead of two.

Plan 7 includes building a new 95,228-square-foot elementary school for grades pre-K-3. It also entails partially demolishing, renovating and adding 149,364 square feet onto the high school to accommodate grades 7-12. District officials can choose whether to renovate the intermediate school to accommodate fourth-sixth grade students.

This plan would cost $84.9 million with a $56.6 million local share.

Officials also are considering a locally funded initiative fund to cover any extra amenities residents may want that state funding doesn't cover, such as facilities for extracurricular activities. Fanning-Howey executive director Steve Wilczynski pointed out.

The next meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. May 21 in the primary school cafeteria.