Close vote decides that query will include a maintenance-only option
By Alex Johnson
Correspondent
The Burlington Area School District plans to survey residents on the latest options for the future of Karcher Middle School and maintenance of other facilities in the district.
After a multi-week series of presentations by Nick Kent from Plunkett-Raysich Architects and Scherrer Construction, the School Board on Monday voted to develop survey questions based on varying constriction options.
The board approved, 7-0, a motion by Kevin Bird to “leave all three options on the survey.”
The three options all include a maintenance repair package; moving fifth and sixth grades to the middle school for a fifth through eighth grade configuration; converting Dyer Intermediate School to an elementary school; and relocating the Montessori program to open space at Dyer.
The five total elementary schools are expected to have a combined capacity of approximately 1,489 students, while the target middle school population would be about 858 students.
The options
Option 1 would involve renovating the existing Karcher Middle School to make space for fifth through eighth grades.
Kent said Option 1 puts “new finishes throughout” the middle school, in addition to a “mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and technology systems replacement.”
Option 2 removes the oldest part of Karcher Middle School, with a renovation and reconstruction of various parts of the building. This would also include a redevelopment to add new parking spaces and an athletic field.
Option 3 is a plan for rebuilding a new middle school adjacent to Karcher Middle School, and then demolishing the old building after construction of the new school is complete.
Throughout the board’s discussion on the Karcher options, board member Susan Kessler noted that she “would like to see how the public could react” to a standalone maintenance package, which would not include any other changes to the existing Karcher Middle School.
A standalone maintenance package would cost about $27.8 million, and include updates and renovations to all elementary schools, middle schools, high school, and administrative building.
Pick up a copy of this week’s Burlington Standard Press for the full story.
-
-
-
-
-