SOUTH OTSELIC – After plans to create a combined K-12 campus were voted down in November, the Otselic Valley School District is looking at other options to address repairs needed at the South Otselic High School and the Georgetown Elementary School.
District resident Laura Porter asked the board what was being done about the plans to renovate the school buildings, mentioning that a piece of the ceiling in the elementary school had fallen in last week. “This needs immediate attention. It causes a safety issue and we need to do something about this,” Porter said.
School officials confirmed Porter’s statement, explaining that the issue with the ceiling had been addressed, and may have occurred whether or not the renovation project were taking place. Board member Terri Hammond blamed a leaking vent, and School Business Manager George Lott said the damage was primarily cosmetic.
However, Board President Dave Cruikshank said the event serves as a reminder of the importance of the building project. “It manifests that the building project does need to be done. We haven’t forgotten it. We haven’t given up on it,” Cruikshank said.
Superintendent Larry Thomas said he had met with project engineer Steve Faisure of BCK Architects to discuss options for the school buildings. “The board is committed to making renovations and repairs to the two campus properties at this point,” Thomas said. Originally, the board received three options for a potential building project. Option A called for repairs to both the Georgetown and South Otselic Campuses. When the plans were first discussed in June of 2007, the project was expected to cost approximately $10.5 million. At the time, the board decided to move forward with Option B, which called for repairs and renovations at the High School building to create a combined campus.
Thomas explained that while the board is back to looking at option A, he doesn’t think a cost of $10.5 million is going to fly in this economic climate. The Building and Facilities Planning Committee is again discussing things that they would like to see for the school.
This time around, Thomas said the plans will include renovations in the kitchen area. “At the elementary school, the cooler area is in bad shape. That needs to be taken care of,” Thomas said. In addition, security issues, like relocating the schools’ main offices closer to the entrances, and science space at the elementary building may still be included.
No matter what the committee decides to include or not to include in the project, Thomas said the cost will be pared down and the board will not rush the matter to a public vote.
During last week’s board meeting, Thomas said if state aid does not change, the school could face a 15 percent tax levy increase or be forced to look at layoffs. The 15 percent increase would not include the cost of a building project.