By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
In a room full of school administrators, teachers, parents, and former students, over 40 hands raised in solidarity for a new Wynford Junior High facility.
The Wynford Board of Education played host to an Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) presentation Monday evening. Though the meeting focused on OFCC’s role when it comes to building, renovation, and construction projects, it ultimately came down to how that organization could help the district with the aging Junior High modular classrooms.
The district’s last OFCC plan approval occurred in 2011. In that plan construction costs totaled an estimated $20,487,421 for a new high school, renovations to the elementary building, and demolition of the existing high school. In the November 2011 General Election, however, voters in the Wynford school district turned down a bond issue for a new school building and the OFCC funding lapsed.
Turn the clock forward five years and the district is now facing a dilemma over what to do about the 24-year-old modular classrooms located on the back end of the high school that house the junior high students.
The Wynford Board of Education already decided that something needs to be done about the modulars that have outlived their expected lifespan, but the question was what would that be and what did the community want to do?
Right now, timing is everything. The district has to raise its local share first – 49 percent of the project – before they can jump to the head of the OFCC funding line. Even then, OFCC would need to have its own funding available at that point in time.
Wynford does have one point in its favor: if the Board of Education commits to seeking funds by March 1 then the district can enter the planning process for a lapsed district and the state could commit resources to it.
Superintendent Fred Fox noted that one of the reasons for the meeting was to come up with a plan. One favorable option is to integrate the sixth graders into the junior high, thus meeting the minimum 350 students per building qualification for OFCC. It will also alleviate the spatial issues occurring in the elementary building.
“I’ve yet to run into anyone – well, I think I ran into one person (who) told me we should renovate the modulars,” Fox said to laughter. “I think we can all come to a conclusion from that response that those modulars have got to go.
“I’m an insider-outsider,” Fox added. “I’ve been here long enough I feel a part (of the community). I know from your perspective I just got here, but I will tell you those modulars got to go and we’ve got to come up with a plan and we don’t have a lot of time.”
“We’re looking at the modulars now and we’re saying this is two to three years out, possibly. Are the modulars going to last another two to three years?” asked Wynford parent Kari Hord. “Because from what I’ve seen – my experiences with the modulars – they’ve definitely served their time.”
To that, Fox could only cave to his superstitions and knock on the wood lining the auditorium’s stage.
“I can tell you they’re safe,” Fox reassured. “But I can tell you the health department has given us due warning.
“I don’t think we have a lot of choice right now,” Fox continued. “I’ve had dreams of someone telling me you’ve got to bring those seventh and eighth graders in this building and try to figure out – I have no idea,” Fox said in disbelief.
“Oh, I can tell you all about that,” said Scott Langenderfer, who was part of the administration when the modulars caught fire in the late 1990s.
As Fox wrapped up the presentation, he asked one thing of the 40-some community members in attendance: raise your hand if you would like to see the school board do something about the facilities. Everyone in the room raised their hand.