By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green Board of Education heard Tuesday evening about three places students sit – in school buses, on stadium bleachers, and maybe in modular classrooms.
The board learned from Superintendent Francis Scruci that classroom space will most likely be in short supply next school year at Conneaut Elementary. For that reason, the district may have to consider putting a modular unit on site, possibly for the entire fifth grade.
“It’s certainly not something anyone wants to hear,” Scruci said. “We do have some shortages in terms of square footage.” However, he added that modular units have improved over the years since schools first started using them to make up for inadequate classroom space.
The modular unit is just one building issue facing the school district. Scruci told the school board that the buildings report from the Ohio School Facilities Commission is expected later this month. To explain the report, and the possible solutions for the district, Scruci plans to hold a workshop for the public in Febrary. The district will need to decide whether to renovate or replace facilities, he said.
“The most important thing is, what does our community want to support?”
One of the report’s recommendations is that the district replace Conneaut Elementary School which was built in the early 1950s, Scruci said. But citizen input must be gathered, so any solution is specifically tailored to Bowling Green, he added.
“So the community feels like it has a say.”
According to Scruci, the cost to renovate Conneaut has been estimated by the state at about $9.6 million. The cost to replace it was estimated at about $12 million. He explained that when the renovation costs are more than 66 percent of the replacement costs, the state considers replacement to be more fiscally sensible.
Another option the district may discuss is consolidating all the elementary schools on the campus already used for the middle and high schools.
“What does this community want,” he said, after the meeting.
In the meantime, Scruci said the district will likely lease a modular for Conneaut, which has an approximate enrollment of 500 students.
(Stories on the school buses and stadium bleachers will appear later this week.)
