[Speed Gibson,
Friday December 21, 2007 at 6:56pm]
Guided Tours
To date I have toured three Elementary schools in District 281. I met with two of the principals.
I toured Forest Elementary in Crystal to see if it truly was a Taj Mahal as some had speculated. It was not. In fact, I liked what I saw, a very functional design. It's not the largest (76,900 sq.ft.), it doesn't have the largest capacity (576), and it doesn't have the highest enrollment. It doesn't even have the most square feet per student of the ten Elementary schools. Inside, it's not at all opulent, simply full-equipped. As a taxpayer, I'm very pleased.
I toured the other two to see what sort of maintenance was required. Northport Elementary was built in 1956, with a major expansion in 1984. It has 65,300 sq. ft. and a capacity of 744 students. It is showing its age, with noticeable cracks in its interior brick walls from the small but inevitable shifts in the foundation. It also uses an older design with lower ceilings and exposed, oversize I-beams that make adding air ducts a major effort.
Pilgrim Lane Elementary was built in 1966. It has 58,200 sq. ft. and a capacity of 552 students. It is in better shape than Northport, no question, but presents the same sorts of airflow challenges as Northport and many other schools in the District. I also felt its gymnasium was undersized.
I have more homework to do, but much of the upgrades facing these two schools and some others is air quality. Forest was rebuilt for this reason I'm told, that repairs and upgrades while cheaper still left us with a 50 year old building with traditionally higher operating costs.
Again, I have more work to do, but for now I'm wondering why all this focus on air quality. Room ventilators and steam heat aren't state of the art, but the concepts are workable for some time. Perhaps some fans and heat exchangers are needed for the hallways, though.
The original 2008-09 budget calls for $1.4 million in such capital projects for Piligrim Lane. Northport is scheduled for $50,000 worth of evaluation only, but for the reasons given, the actual upgrades will require several million dollars. This is one reason why Northport was the early favorite to close, to avoid a major investment in an older building.
Now that Sonnesyn Elementary in New Hope is also a candidate for closing, I will be touring it shortly after school resumes next year. I will visit all of District 281's facilities in fact, because I think this is an important point going forward. If 281 is to turn itself around, it can't do it with an aging fleet of 35 to 50+ year old buildings.
I toured Forest Elementary in Crystal to see if it truly was a Taj Mahal as some had speculated. It was not. In fact, I liked what I saw, a very functional design. It's not the largest (76,900 sq.ft.), it doesn't have the largest capacity (576), and it doesn't have the highest enrollment. It doesn't even have the most square feet per student of the ten Elementary schools. Inside, it's not at all opulent, simply full-equipped. As a taxpayer, I'm very pleased.
I toured the other two to see what sort of maintenance was required. Northport Elementary was built in 1956, with a major expansion in 1984. It has 65,300 sq. ft. and a capacity of 744 students. It is showing its age, with noticeable cracks in its interior brick walls from the small but inevitable shifts in the foundation. It also uses an older design with lower ceilings and exposed, oversize I-beams that make adding air ducts a major effort.
Pilgrim Lane Elementary was built in 1966. It has 58,200 sq. ft. and a capacity of 552 students. It is in better shape than Northport, no question, but presents the same sorts of airflow challenges as Northport and many other schools in the District. I also felt its gymnasium was undersized.
I have more homework to do, but much of the upgrades facing these two schools and some others is air quality. Forest was rebuilt for this reason I'm told, that repairs and upgrades while cheaper still left us with a 50 year old building with traditionally higher operating costs.
Again, I have more work to do, but for now I'm wondering why all this focus on air quality. Room ventilators and steam heat aren't state of the art, but the concepts are workable for some time. Perhaps some fans and heat exchangers are needed for the hallways, though.
The original 2008-09 budget calls for $1.4 million in such capital projects for Piligrim Lane. Northport is scheduled for $50,000 worth of evaluation only, but for the reasons given, the actual upgrades will require several million dollars. This is one reason why Northport was the early favorite to close, to avoid a major investment in an older building.
Now that Sonnesyn Elementary in New Hope is also a candidate for closing, I will be touring it shortly after school resumes next year. I will visit all of District 281's facilities in fact, because I think this is an important point going forward. If 281 is to turn itself around, it can't do it with an aging fleet of 35 to 50+ year old buildings.