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Old-school work
Demolition of old Jackson-Milton building continues
By Elise Franco
North Jackson
School admin- istrators look to the future as the 97-year-old bricks come down from the former Jackson-Milton Middle/ High School.
Superintendent Kirk Baker said demolition began at the end of July on the old building, constructed in 1913, and should take about six weeks to complete.
The total demolition cost about $226,000, which included $80,000 in asbestos removal, said John Zinger, district treasurer.
The school has been vacant since the end of the 2008-09 school year.
Baker said the school board and administrators decided on demolition after students in grades seven through 12 moved into a new $16 million facility in 2009. The new school is on Mahoning Avenue next to the K-6 elementary school.
“It was going to take about $6 million to fix,” he said. “We didn’t want to end up being an eyesore, so the property will become green space.”
Baker said the district’s athletic teams will use the grassy area for football and soccer practices.
“We want the community members to drive by and see a nice green space,” he said.
Baker and Jim Roberts, the district maintenance superintendent, both graduated from the former high school — Baker in 1979 and Roberts in 1976.
Both agreed that though it’s sad to see the building come down, it’s a sign of better things to come for the Jackson- Milton district.
“It took years to build and only a month to tear down,” Baker said. “I have a lot of good memories in there, but we needed to move forward for the students.”
Roberts said, “It’s sad in a way, but it makes way for a new plan.”
Baker said hundreds of passers-by stopped to take photos on the first day of demolition. He said he’s glad to have the residents’ support.
“I heard so many people say that it’s bittersweet,” he said. “But they realize that we had to do this.”
The alumni association will begin selling bricks from the school for $5 during home football games, and Baker said the proceeds will go into a student-scholarship fund.
The high school football stadium will remain intact, and because it’s in good condition, Baker said the district will use that facility for home games for now.
A utility building near the field was converted into a locker room, and a new ticket booth was built near the field, Baker said.
”A new locker room would have cost about $200,000, but instead we spent about $5,000 fixing up the old utility building,” he said. “Eventually, we’d like to get everything onto the one campus.”