Weatherly plans public forum on school renovation

The Weatherly Area School District will be holding a public forum on Jan. 24 to discuss the proposed building renovation projects.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the high school gymnasium.

EI Associates, the engineering company, proposed a plan to switch prekindergarten through fifth grade with the high school grades, moving the elementary students to the building across the street and educating the higher-grade students with the middle classes for grades six through 12.

Work on the elementary would be $1.07 million, with the high school work at $8.5 million.

Parents of elementary students voiced concerns on the swapping concept on a Weatherly Facebook page.

Advantages for the switch will be a smaller community for elementary school students, pre-K and kindergarten will be on the lower level with cafeteria, art, music, gym and play areas; and in larger spaces than at the current elementary school.

According to the report issued by EI Associates, the sizes of rooms and core areas are more appropriate and typical for elementary school of similar size and capacity; fenced-in play area for primary grades; no crossover of older students at elementary school; layout of the building is simple (not as mazelike as in the middle school); and the high school is considered more secure and less exposed than the K-5 play areas.

The firm also proposed a prioritized list of repairs and renovations for both buildings ranging between removal and replacement of the gym floor for $233,100 versus replacing the wood patching on the gym floor and refinishing it for $62,000.

Another big-ticket item, replacing the old bleachers with plastic motorized bleachers that are ADA compliant seating at $250,000, compared to replacing the bleachers and installing nonmotorized bleachers for $200,000.

School board members request that concerned community members submit questions before the meeting by sending your questions to: communityfeedback@weatherlysd.org.

Questions submitted will be answered and available as a FAQ that will be available on the district’s website.