|
|
 |
Ask the Superintendent -
October 3, 2007
On Monday evening, October 1st, the Board of
Education unanimously endorsed a $69,949,000 capital
building project to meet the educational needs of
the school district. All of us have experienced
growth and the impact it has had in our community. I
have often referenced in this column that three of
our schools are over capacity and one is at
capacity. After multiple presentations, a great deal
of thought and review, architectural refinements and
revisions, and careful consideration of the
financial impact to the community, the board has
agreed we must address growth at this time.
Our schools will be impacted as follows:
Scotchtown Avenue School $15,100,000
The plans call for approximately 34,000 sq. ft., one
story classroom, cafeteria, and gym addition.
Fifteen new general classrooms will be added with
additional space for music, art, and computer rooms.
Also included will be space for pupil services and
an expanded and renovated library.
Goshen Intermediate School $ 1,002,000
The Goshen Intermediate School will include
infrastructure work only; new multi-fuel burners,
hot water heaters, a major upgrade in lighting,
water service and HVAC systems.
C. J. Hooker Middle School $21,101,000
The plans call for a 55,000 sq. ft. classroom and
new cafeteria expansion, as well as renovation to
the existing cafeteria, band room, technology, art,
science, and a larger improved library. This
expansion will include a 19,000 sq. ft. classroom
addition to the second floor wing that was built in
1999. Site plans will include additional
playgrounds, parking lots, and a new student drop
off area adjacent to the proposed cafeteria.
Due to the historical architecture of the C. J.
Hooker Middle School, all of the additions and
renovations were carefully planned not to impact the
front of the building.
Goshen High School $32,746,000
Plans call for an approximate 85,000 sq. ft.
expansion, of which 43,000 sq. ft. will include a
two-story classroom addition in the rear of the
building, two new cafeterias, a new auditorium and a
main office, as well as the creation of a new front
entrance adjacent to a bus drop off area.
Renovations to the library, band, orchestra and
chorus rooms, additional technology, computer rooms,
Family and Consumer Science rooms are also planned.
The teaching space will add 23 needed general
education classrooms, and four large state of the
art science rooms.
Site improvements are also planned which include the
creation of new and expansion of existing athletic
fields.
Additional parking is also included to accommodate
growth.
*****************************************************************
The expansion in each of the buildings will be
designed to add additional classroom space, common
space to reduce congestion, needed upgrades to
athletic facilities, site work to ease traffic, and
to enhance community accessibility to the schools.
In the days and weeks to follow much more
information about this project will be shared with
the community. Included in my next week’s article
will be a breakdown of costs, state aid
reimbursements, and overall financial impact to the
residents of our district. The Growth Task Force
will have a very important meeting next week and
will establish a series of dates to hold
informational sessions for the community. A Public
Hearing on the capital building project will be held
November 20, 2007, at 7:00 p.m. in the Main Street
School.
Please visit the building project update link on our
web site, which will offer new information
continually.
Roy Reese
Superintendent of Schools
|
|
|
