BADGER DISTRICT Construction nears for new school

The new building will replace a high school, middle school and two elementary schools.
VERNON -- Dirt will start flying in April for an estimated $31.3 million school building and demolition project here that will replace four school buildings for pupils in four communities.
Badger Local District officials opened bids for all aspects of the project Tuesday and are looking toward a fall 2006 opening of the building.
Superintendent Dr. David Bair said some 40 companies, the majority from Ohio and Pennsylvania, submitted proposals for the general contract, electric, plumbing, heating, fire protection, technology, furnishings and more.
All of these require scrutiny by the board and construction manager URS Corp., with an office in Pittsburgh as well as globally, for the lowest and best bids, he said. The architect is GPD Associates of Akron.
The school board will meet April 7 to consider awarding contracts, he said.
"The money is certainly in the ballpark, and we're now scrutinizing our alternate bids, which were add-ons," Bair said. "We should see dirt flying in 10 days to two weeks."
The state is paying 73 percent of the project. The local district is paying the rest -- including the cost for local athletic facilities and administrative office space, which the state doesn't cover.
Consolidation
Pupils living in Kinsman, Gustavus, Hartford and Vernon townships attend Badger schools, a consolidated school district.
The district bought 100 acres near the Kinsman-Vernon line two years ago to build the new school. Its planning has involved teachers, administrators, school board members, parents, pupils and community members. The new facility will house pupils from pre-kindergarten through grade 12.
The new central school will replace the high school in Kinsman and middle school in Vernon and two elementary schools. One elementary school is in Gustavus and the other in Hartford.
The middle school was built in 1914, both elementary schools were constructed in 1928 and the high school was built in 1936. The state opted to help with Badger's buildings because of their age.
Part of the construction cost involves turning the four sites into green space.
"We're maintaining the integrity of these buildings until next summer, because hopefully by fall 2006 we'll be ready to be in our new building," Bair said.
Hartford Township already owns the Hartford Elementary property, and the other townships are negotiating with the school district for the remaining sites, aiming to preserve them as public community property, Bair said.
Policing issue
There was a police patrol issue earlier this year regarding the move of the high school from Kinsman south to Vernon, though still off of state Route 7.
Kinsman has a police department, but Vernon does not, and Kinsman trustees declined to police the new building outside their jurisdiction. Bair explained that Vernon trustees asked Hartford Township's police to respond by contract for patrols and security.
Once the new building is finished, its elementary, middle school and high school grade levels will be separated by areas such as the cafeteria, auditorium and media room.
"By design, our student bodies will be separated. We have an elementary, middle and high school design with some shared spaces, but typically the grade levels won't come in contact with each other," Bair said.
School district voters in 2003 approved local issues to generate $10.2 million, with the state providing $21.2 million toward the project. Residents are paying 4.6 mills over 28 years for a $7.87 million bond issue for the new central school, a 0.5-mill levy to pay for building maintenance and a 1.3-mill, 28-year bond issue to raise $2.28 million for renovations and improvements to school facilities.