Poland school board looks at its building options

POLAND

The board of education is in the midst of making some big decisions about the district’s future.

One of those decisions, which the board discussed at a meeting Monday night, is what to do with old school buildings should the board decide to build new ones.

Superintendent David Janofa laid out options for the board to consider: renovate, demolish, sell or donate.

Following the board’s decision to reorganize the district by consolidating elementary schools, moving the district’s pre-school program and eventually closing McKinley Elementary, district officials turned their attention to the future. They have been seeking community input on a state offer to help build new facilities, which would require a bond issue to cover all of the estimated $46 million cost.

The proposed plan, which the board has not yet taken action on, would be to build a K-5th-grade building at North Elementary’s current site, build a 6th-8th grade facility on the high school’s campus and renovate the high school.

The state would cover 19 percent of the cost. The earliest students could move into new facilities would be January 2019, but the board must soon decide whether to put the issue on the ballot.