Chair lift coming to Boardman intermediate school

August 23, 2016 at 12:05a.m.

By ELISE McKEOWN SKOLNICK

BOARDMAN

Community members and school staff have been working all summer to transform Boardman Center Middle School into Boardman Center Intermediate School, and the board of education continued that progress at its meeting Monday.

The board approved Burning River Lifts and Elevators LLC’s bid to build a chair lift at the intermediate school.

Currently, handicapped students cannot access the upper floors of the building, said Timothy Saxton, superintendent.

In the past, those students attended Glenwood Middle School. With the realignment of the schools, however, that’s not possible.

Before this school year, fifth- through eighth-graders were split between the two schools. This year, all fifth- and sixth-graders will attend the intermediate school on Market Street, and all seventh- and eighth-graders will attend the former Glenwood Middle School, now Glenwood Junior High School.

Burning River Lifts and Elevators of Hiram will complete the project for $32,500.

It was the lowest proposal, and was under the projected cost of $34,000, Saxton said.

Also at the meeting, Kimberly Stutz, president of the lacrosse boosters, asked the board to make lacrosse a varsity sport.

Formed in 2013, the organization has seen an increase in participants, Stutz said.

Students who play other sports have found lacrosse to be good cross training for them, she added. Universities also are looking for good players.

“Lacrosse has given many opportunities to our students,” Stutz said.