YOUNGSTOWN School board mulls proposal

Volney and North are slated for significant improvements.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The board of education has taken under advisement a proposal to scale back renovations at Choffin Career Center, but approved plans for changes in renovations to Volney Rogers Junior High School and North Elementary School.
Initial Ohio School Facilities Commission estimates of renovation costs at Choffin were about $4.7 million, but OSFC's reassessment increased that figure to about $15.2 million.
About the proposal: Brad Adams, a construction manager for Heery International Inc. of Cleveland, project manager, presented a proposal Thursday to scale that back to about $11 million by cutting back on roof improvements, sidewalk and parking lot paving, painting, carpeting, new furnishings and technology and by not doing window replacements or any work on the building's horticultural annex.
"I want to ensure that we're going to have what we told the voters in the beginning. That is they would have new buildings. They all would be retouched and retrofitted. They all would be state of the art," said board member Tracey Winbush, chairwoman of the board's finance committee.
"Technology's too important. Right now, we live in a wireless age, where I carry a PalmPilot, and I send and receive e-mail. The children of the Youngstown City School District need to be accessible to that technology," she said.
"Either you're going to scale back and close it down and send them all to Mahoning County [Career and Technical Center], or you're going to build it and make them succeed," she added.
Architect Cherie A. Hayek, of MS Consultants, presented a revised plan that would add almost 16,000 square feet to Volney, bring all classrooms at Volney out of the basement, create a music space and enlarge the cafeteria, kitchen, and library.
The revised plan adds about $1.8 million to the project, which was originally about $6.1 million. The extra money for Volney also includes $464,000 for roof replacement.
Renovation plan: Her uncle, architect K. Anthony Hayek, of the same firm, presented a plan that would add $800,000 to the approximate $5.6 million cost of renovations at North Elementary School, with all of the extra $800,000 to be paid by the district.
His plan would create a gymnasium and library, where the gym and cafeteria are located, enlarge the art room, add a computer lab and convert the auditorium into a terraced cafetorium, which would serve as both a cafeteria and auditorium.
The work is part of a $173-million, six-year school renovation and construction project in which the state and district are sharing the cost, with local funds coming largely from a bond issue approved by the voters. The board awaits OSFC approval for state money to cover increased costs at Choffin and Volney.
The board intends to use proceeds from the recent sale of more than $6 million worth of Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield stock it received when Anthem became a publicly traded company to cover the extra $800,000 at North, and for cost increases for Volney Rogers and renovations at Chaney High School and the new East Middle School, Winbush said.