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Local News

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

School construction: long process ahead
Northridge Swim & Tennis Club - Findlay
By DENISE GRANT

Staff Writer

Findlay school board convened its first public meeting Monday since winning a bond issue request in the Nov. 3 election.

While the "thank yous" kept coming, school officials also began work on what will be a very long "to do" list.

Superintendent Dean Wittwer told the board the design phase of the project will take up to a year.

The board will get its first opportunity to speak with project architects and the construction manager at its Dec. 14 board meeting. The meeting will be held at 5 p.m. in the library of Chamberlin Hill Intermediate School.

Voters approved a 4.3-mill bond issue that will help build two middle schools and a new career technical center.

It will raise $54 million, and will be matched with $19 million from the Ohio School Facilities Commission.

The bond issue will cost the owner of a home with an appraised value of $100,000 about $135 per year.

The vote total on election night was 6,241 in favor, 5,936 opposed, or a margin of 51.25 percent to 48.75 percent.

The Hancock County Board of Elections is expected to certify vote totals today. The final certification will include any provisional ballots that were cast in the election.

Construction of all three buildings could begin in 2011, with the buildings opening by the 2013-14 school year.

Wittwer said the district's "transition team" is also already organizing, and will be led by Assistant Superintendent Craig Kupferberg. Jerri Strait, transportation coordinator, will serve on the team, as will the principals of each affected building.

There will be two transitions: one during construction and the other during the move into the new buildings, Wittwer said. Recommendations on the first transition should be ready by spring.

Donnell Middle School, 301 Baldwin Ave., will be demolished to make way for the new building there.

All of Findlay's middle school students will be split between Glenwood and Central middle schools during construction.

Central, at 200 W. Main Cross St., can hold up to 800 students, or more than half of the middle school population of about 1,260 students.

Central's basement, which was heavily damaged in the flood of August 2007, used to house administrative offices, the district's technology hub and the school board room. Work to convert the space back to classrooms began over the summer.

Central will eventually be used for school office space and other district programs once construction is complete. During the election campaign, school officials also offered to house Hancock County government offices in the building.

The second new middle school will be built behind Glenwood Middle School, 1715 N. Main St., which can still house students during construction.

The career technical center will be built on the high school campus, 1200 Broad Ave.

Construction updates will be available on the district's Web site at www.findlaycityschools.org. Look for the "building update" logo.

Grant: 419-427-8412,

Send an e-mail to Denise Grant



EDITOR'S NOTE: This version corrects the Web site for Findlay City Schools.


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4 Comments

Latest comments listed first.
Brian wrote:
Now is the Time
“ Joe,

The reason they didn't wait was the state money was only good for this project at this time. Waiting a couple of years would have meant the community would have needed to additionally pick up around 18 million dollars.

No one is arguing that the economy is not good, but now is the time. Back 80+ years ago the community stepped up and built these middle schools. About 40+ years ago Intermediate/Elementaries were updated. This isn't something where the schools have gone and done this on a whim. The Board of Education works for the best interests of all the Findlay City School children for not only right now, but 50 years from now. ”
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 9:58:24 AM
joe ramirez wrote:
school
“ i like how the city workers are losing jobs and yet they are still gonna build new schools. how come this couldnt have waited a couple more years? was the schools gonna collapse? is there a population boom that we dont know of? i think this is a joke. im so glad we have to pay more taxes when everyone is losing jobs so they the city can spend money on things we dont need. nice to see findlay hasnt changed a bit ”
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 9:55:29 PM
Mike Barnhart, FCS Treasurer wrote:
Design Phase Explained
“ The following is an excerpt from the 5th page of OSFC's 99 page section on Design from their building project manual. To see the full Design section you can go to www.osfc.state.oh.us/Portals/0/PDFs/pub_Design_CompleteRev2.pdf or you can view the entire manual and other publications at www.osfc.state.oh.us/Library/Publications/tabid/79/Default.aspx

"During the Design Development Phase the design is further refined to incorporate the actual materials and systems that will be used in construction. Detailed calculations for material stresses, heat loss/gain, and electrical loads are made and the final configuration of materials
is established. Preliminary Specifications for all components are prepared and are used along with the drawings in the preparation of the Construction Estimate of Cost by the CM.
The Design Development documents are reviewed and approved by the Project Team before starting the Construction Documents Phase."--OSFC manual

In other words, design is much more than drawings of the building exterior and floor plans. There is much more detail involved which is why it will take a year. This is a monumental task that our community is undertaking and while we are all eager to see new buildings opened, there is an established process that must be followed to ensure everything is done right. We must keep our "eye on the prize" which will be the targeted completion of a Millstream building at FHS to be moved into in the Fall of 2012, the northern middle school to move into in January 2013, and a new Donnell middle school to accept students in Fall 2013.

I encourage everyone to go to the FCS website at www.findlaycityschools.org/building.html to monitor updates as we work through this exciting process. ”
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 10:44:38 AM
andy wrote:
design phase?
“ "Superintendent Dean Wittwer told the board the design phase of the project will take up to a year."

What is meant by "design phase?" Judging from the proposed building plans, the buildings have already been "designed," haven't they? A lot of people thought that once the levy passed everything was ready to start building right away after the contractors were chosen. Please explain further what part of the process Dean Wittwer is referring to.
 ”
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 8:24:34 AM
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High-powered growing lights, fans, and a box filled with dried marijuana were also found in the house, according to a police report.

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