Newest rebuilding project under way

The district has five more schools to be built as part of the program.

By HAROLD GWIN

VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — The latest project in the city school district’s $192 million school rebuilding program got under way today.

Groundbreaking was held at 2724 Mariner Ave. for the new North Elementary.

Pupils from the school got a chance to be involved in the project, donning hard hats to turn over the first shovels of dirt at the site.

The school board awarded an early site/utilities foundation contract this week for the new school, hiring Murphy Contracting Co. of Youngstown to handle the work at a cost of $724,000. Murphy was the lowest of nine bids for the job.

Final design plans are being completed and actual construction bids will come later. The plan is to have the new building ready for occupancy by fall 2008.

The district is remodeling or replacing a total of 14 buildings, with the Ohio School Facilities Commission picking up about 80 percent of the overall project cost.

The big picture

Youngstown has already opened new Harding, Taft, West, Williamson and Kirkmere elementary and P. Ross Berry Middle schools.

A new East High School will open this fall, and a remodeled and expanded Chaney High School will be fully ready for occupancy at the same time.

Renovations are under way at the Choffin Career and Technical Center, leaving just five more buildings on the list.

Final design work is almost complete on the new Paul C. Bunn Elementary, and groundbreaking on that project is tentatively set for June 8.

That will leave the new Wilson, Rayen and Volney Rogers middle schools in the design stages. Wilson and Rayen high schools and Volney Rogers Junior High School are closing permanently at the end of this school year and will be demolished.

The three middle schools will be erected on the same sites.

The school board awarded a contract this week for the removal of asbestos in both Wilson and Rayen as part of the demolition process.

Cardinal Environmental Services Inc. of Barberton got the job with a bid of $221,250, the lowest of three bids for the work.

By state law, asbestos in school buildings must be safely removed and disposed of before a building is torn down.

gwin@vindy.com