Around 30 people packed into a sweltering Homestead Elementary School gymnasium for the third of Randolph County Superintendent Dr. James Phares' five summer forums. Phares was wanting feedback on a possible $3,550,650.98 worth of renovations at the school.
"The board, with the successful passage of the levy, threw their full support into the community schools," Phares told the crowd.
Phares explained that the second item on the Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan was the community schools. He said the process of identifying the $23,492,057.03 worth of renovation projects at Beverly Elementary, Coalton Elementary, Harman, Homestead Elementary and Tygarts Valley High/Middle schools, started when meetings were held with Local School Improvement Councils last year.
"We are here to talk about the architects vision of Homestead," he said. "Homestead is in the most need of repair. Things just start falling apart after time."
Phares presented a slide show that highlighted the renovations at the building. He said there was no exterior work to be done to the building and the main focus was to get the second floor open.
"We want to fully utilize the school, both floors," he said. "We do not have the electrical capabilities we need to have. At some point year around school will happen and we can not have year around school here."
Interior renovations would cost an estimated $2,624,213.50 and include paint, plumbing, heating and ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, wiring, a fire alarm system, communication system, restroom renovations and a gym floor among others.
The school would also need a new stairwell and elevator to open the second floor. The cost of the stairwell, elevator and a new sprinkler system would cost $122,149.50.
"Homestead is the one school where building a new school would be more cost effective than renovating," Phares said. "The SBA (West Virginia School Building Authority) would much rather build a new school."
Phares said the estimated cost for a new school is $4,285,488.
"We have plenty of space and we would build a new building and tear this one down," he said. "It will be a much smaller building and would not mean as much to the community."
Those in attendance were admittedly against building a new school.
"If the plan is to remodel this building and bring it to its former glory then you have my full support," resident Chelley Depp said.
Homestead Principal Diane Hull asked those in the crowd if anyone in the crowd disagreed with Depp and no one responded.
"Eleanor Roosevelt built this school," Phares said. "Jim Phares is not going to close it."
Phares said everything in the plan he highlighted was a conceptual design and asked if there was any feedback on any of the items.
Depp asked if new windows would have to be installed and Phares said the fire windows would not be replaced. Depp also asked about the flooring and Phares said tiles would be used and it would look like new floors.
"We don't need new floors," Depp said. "We just need to fix the floors we have. If you are going to keep this building we need to keep as much as the original as possible."
One person in the crowd asked how long a renovations would take and if the students would stay in the building.
"They would do as much as they can in the summer and then work at night," Phares said. "As long as I am superintendent I will never take another child out of a school."
Phares was also asked what the time line for funding the project would be and he responded that all the community feedback would be taken to the board during their planning retreat on August 12.
"We will talk about the facilities plan," he said. "I am going to recommend they consider a bond call to be voted on in 2012."
Phares said if the board agrees to run a bond call it would be slated for the primary or general election in 2012 and then the school system would approach the SBA for funding. He said he is hoping to recommend a $14 million bond and seek $9 million in funding from the SBA.
"The bond call will be cheaper than the levy call," he said. "The levy was a precursor of the things we can do if we work together."
The summer forums will continue today at 7 p.m. at Beverly Elementary. A forum will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Coalton Elementary.
Contact Anthony Gaynor by email at agaynor@the intermountain.com.
