Last year Williamsburg Local Schools ran a levy on the March ballot to build a new Elementary School. That issue failed not because the residents didn’t support the schools, but because they didn’t like the location and plan presented by the school board. The board members asked residents for input, but are they listening?
After the levy failed the school board sent a survey to the elementary school staff. 96.6% chose the site of the current elementary as the best location for the new elementary school. Among their concerns with the Main Street location were safety, traffic, less outdoor space, and a feeling that persons outside would have easy access to the school grounds. In their closing comments many expressed their hope that the school board would not choose Main Street as the location for a new elementary school. I can’t think of anyone better to listen to than the teachers trusted with our youngest students every day.
The school board is currently showing residents concept drawings of options they are considering for the location and design of the new elementary. The first two options are for the Main Street location and the third option is for the site of the current elementary. These are preliminary drawings, not final plans or blueprints. The drawings are on the school board’s website at www.burgschools.org/ElementaryBuildingProposedOptions.aspx. There is a link at the bottom of this page under ‘Feedback Survey’ to select an option and enter comments. The school board will make their final decision on November 15 so time is running out to let your voice be heard.
Clearly they have not given equal consideration to the current elementary site option as they have to the Main Street options. The front and side views of the building for the option at the current elementary site do not match the overhead drawing; they are simply copies of the pictures on Main Street options 1 and 2. And the Main Street drawings do not portray the surrounding properties accurately making it more visually attractive with trees instead of houses across the streets.
The current elementary site option is drawn far back behind the existing building and shows an additional expense of $1.15 million for site prep because of this distance. The explanation I got was that they were rushed to get a drawing ready to show the residents and did not consider alternate solutions that would move the building closer to the current school eliminating the need for a connector road altogether. They also told me that if the decision was made to build at the current elementary location they would look at other options and that any money they saved by reducing this expense would be used for other things in the school. When I asked what they would do if the demolition and construction cost were higher on the Main Street site they said if the cost exceeded their estimate they would have to make cuts in the school or find the money somewhere else.
In my opinion the site of the current elementary school is the superior choice for the students, and with more than three times the land area it has room for future expansion if the school district grows in size. Ask yourself this question: if there were no buildings on either site, which location would you chose for an elementary school and the youngest students in our district. Five acres in town surrounded by roads on all sides, or fifteen plus acres on a quiet dead end street.
Bert Yeary
Williamsburg