×

Warren BOE crunches budget numbers

VINCENT–More than 10 residents and educators sought answers Monday at the Warren Local Schools Board of Education meeting.

The major point of discussion surrounded plans for the upcoming renovations and additions to the district buildings under the single campus plan.

Monday the board authorized an additional $211,926 in local share funds toward the multi-million dollar project to leverage an additional $544,952 in state funding for a total increase in the budget of $777,378.

That $777,378, the board said, will go toward required storm shelters and their coinciding building permits and additional square footage to meet the current needs of the elementary population.

These changes bring the total projected cost of the single campus to $54,187,842, from the previous $53,430,964.

The $54.1 million is still under the $62 million budget cap of a 72-28 percent split of state and local shares per last May’s levy approval from voters.

Superintendent Kyle Newton and Project Manager Jennifer Fuller Monday said that while the design is still in process, the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, which is a partner in the project, had recommended a shift in where square footage would be distributed in the coming building and renovations.

Newton said the increase of $3,293,443 to the elementary school budget for a new building would allow the district to better house the student population through fourth grade.

“It’s not just the classroom size or their number that’s in play here,” he said. “It’s also the cafeteria space and other exploratory areas.”

He said the state formula for approved square footage takes into account a study commissioned by the state that projected a decline in birth rate and classroom size.

“But we’re two years into that 10-year prediction and already my first-grade class is 30 to 35 above what they said it would be,” Newton said.

With an average class size between 142 and 146, when the study put incoming classes at 116, that affects not only needing physically two more classrooms, but also the capacity needs of a lunchroom and support facilities.

So on paper only, as guided by the OFCC, the new elementary school is to be built with the capacity to house fifth grade (assuming the average class size in the study of 116 students.)

“That doesn’t mean we’re moving fifth grade down,” clarified Newton. “Because right now the middle school space is arranged so efficiently that we have the space for the middle school students to stay.”

Fuller said that the shift in the budget to decrease the middle school additional renovation budget by $3,513,259 allows for only the money to be spent on what’s needed for a new gymnasium, secure entrance for the office and adjustments to the dining area and kitchen space.

“There had been too much budgeted for the middle school,” she said. “So here we’re taking what we don’t need there, and putting it toward what’s needed in the elementary school.”

Newton also added that the plans for a new gym for the high school, to seat 1,252, and each gym for the middle and elementary schools to seat 468 are still on the horizon.

And while not all of the answers to specific sites, layouts or materials could be answered Monday, Board President Debbie West said the board’s communication plan as it moves into further design discussions.

She said the public will be provided with single page summaries be both online and at each regular board meeting to review what the administration and board have crafted with the OFCC and engineering/project management team each month.

She also said that a second board meeting will occur each month to focus solely on the project. That second meeting, called a “working board meeting” will take place on the first Thursday of each month and will be open to the public.

Additional committee meetings like that of district operations, finance, and learning and instruction are also open to the public. The next finance meeting is 3:30 p.m. today at the board office Sweetapple Road. The next district operations and finance meetings are to begin at 3:30 p.m. on April 16 prior to the next regular board meeting.

Other business

The board also approved the hiring of Blake Campbell, who currently serves as Allen Clark’s student teacher.

“I’m excited to come on board and be the new agri-science educator here at Warren,” said Campbell Monday night. “I’m looking forward to some new and exciting things (like) hopefully adding some new classes. I did grow up in Waterford. I’m now at Ohio State and I will be graduating in May.”

Campbell will be replacing Clark who is scheduled to retire at the close of the year.

The starting salary for Campbell will be $33,961.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today