Wednesday, April 23, 2003
|
Wednesday, April 23, 2003 |
|
BOE: McIntosh H.S. to get gym, Sandy Creek its promised auditorium By J. FRANK LYNCH
Like that old Abbott and Costello routine, "Who's on First, What's on Second," the county school board and facilities managers went round and round last week through a dizzying scenario of proposals about how to get construction projects at McIntosh and Sandy Creek high schools going as soon as possible. And still, nobody knows who's on third. Or rather, nobody knows when promised funding from the state legislature will come through to make the projects reality. Nearly $12 million in additions and renovations has been proposed for both high schools, including a new gym, expanded kitchen and conversion of the old gym to a fine arts center at McIntosh, and a new auditorium at Sandy Creek. In a special called meeting Thursday, board members heard one more scenario for getting the projects going now with or without confirmation of state funds. Key to the McIntosh construction is reconstruction of the parking areas, work that can only be done during summer when students are not present. It was thought that similar work would be required at Sandy Creek, but Facilities Services Director Mike Satterfield now says that the work at the Tyrone school could be done anytime meaning the parking lot there doesn't necessarily have to be torn up right away. That pleased board members, who asked Satterfield to estimate the cost of going ahead and doing the McIntosh parking lot this summer using another source of funds. That proposal is still pending. They then agreed to bid both the McIntosh and Sandy Creek projects at the same time, when the funds are confirmed. If the full amount comes in from the state, both projects will be completed as proposed. If funds are short, the McIntosh fine arts renovation could be postponed to a later time, but the school would still get a new gym. And Sandy Creek would still get its auditorium. Board members had been accused of playing politics and "favorites" by some in the community, since the new Whitewater High will include an auditorium and Sandy Creek, a 12-year-old school, has never had one. That charge was denied by Greg Powers. "I want to go on the record and state that an auditorium was never included in the original plans for Whitewater, and when the bids came in so low we were able to include an auditorium there and have $800,000 left over, that's why we put an auditorium there," he said. "I resent all these cards and e-mails I received saying that Whitewater was getting an auditorium before Sandy Creek," Powers continued. "We never intended to give an auditorium to Whitewater, but both schools are getting one now because of it." Added Board Chairman Terri Smith, "It seems kind of stupid to say you're not going to give one school something even if you have the money for it and make them wait because another school had to wait." Superintendent John DeCotis, acknowledging the larger number of Sandy Creek parents and students at the meeting, commended the board for working so hard to find a way to make facilities at all the schools more equitable. "They have gone above and beyond the call of duty to figure out a way to get an auditorium at Sandy Creek," he said. "It has not been easy given current budget constraints. This school has needed an auditorium for years, and this board had the courage to find a way to do it." Satterfield said that as soon as the board signs off on the parking lot work, that portion of the project could still get underway by summer. Once the rest of the funding picture falls into place, construction on both buildings could be started by early fall.
|
||