Questions and information regarding the possible construction of a new elementary school at Princeton were the focus of a public meeting Thursday night at the school.
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Questions and information regarding the possible construction of a new elementary school at Princeton were the focus of a public meeting Thursday night at the school.
Superintendent Dr. Darrell Smith said around 50 persons attended the meeting, getting a chance to meet with board members about the proposal, which the board wants to place before voters in April. Dr. Smith said many of the patrons had questions about the plan and also presented, what he termed as “very good” comments regarding options they would like to see the board consider before coming up with a final plan.
Dr. Smith said that the consensus of those attending was that they would like to see the board develop a completed plan for the new structure, outlining just exactly what would be included in the construction. He said there were concerns expressed about the future of the Industrial Arts program at the high school and several patrons asked that the future of the IA and vocational agriculture programs be considered in the planning process.
There was some discussion about the possibility of construction a K-12 complex at a new site, however, Dr. Smith believes the district does not have the bonding capacity to finance such an endeavor, which he believes will cost at least $7 million. Comments were also presented regarding construction of a new high school and moving the elementary school to the current high school building. Dr. Smith said there would be an advantage in that the high school students would have facilities, such as a cafeteria and gymnasium, available to them in the same building in which they attend classes, something that the current building does not provide. The downside, he said, would be the remodeling that would have to be done at the current high school facilities to meet the needs of elementary students. He noted that some of the classrooms would not be large enough to accommodate elementary classes and the equipment that would be needed by those students.
Dr. Smith said the board’s focus will now turn to an elementary complex and determining a location where such a facility might be constructed. The board will be taking the information gleaned from Thursday night’s meeting and using it in making a final decision on location, which Dr. Smith said most likely will be made at the August board meeting. While no specific sites were mentioned, Dr. Smith said it would be most practical to build a new school close to the high school as both facilities share teachers for certain programs. By keeping the schools close in proximity, Dr. Smith said class scheduling would be simpler and teachers would not be required to travel a long distance between buildings.
Once a location is determined, Dr. Smith said the board would then begin working with its bonding company in putting together a plan with the help of an architectural firm that the board will need to employ following presentations at a future meeting. Dr. Smith said it is important that the board get a plan developed and out to the public, so that patrons have a chance to voice their opinion prior to the vote in April.
“It’s important that the public get a chance to see just what it is we are talking about,” he said.
The board will meet on Aug. 16, which is one week later than their regularly-scheduled meeting time. In addition to the construction issue, the board will also interview candidates and select replacements for two open board positions. Dr. Smith said that 10 individuals have expressed interest in filling the positions, one of which is a two-year term and one which expires in April. Once those positions are filled, the board will then elect a new board president and secretary to fill those vacancies, created by the resignations last month of Richard Moore and Cheryl Snapp.