Schools work on building plans

By Lauren Radomski (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Construction designs for Cleveland Elementary School are nearly finalized, with plans for the middle school still under consideration, Superintendent Jerry Ness told a joint meeting of the school board and city council Monday.

Cleveland’s renovations, which will include a new gymnasium and additional classrooms on the school’s west end, will increase efficiency, Ness said.

In the coming week, planners will decide how to fill two nine-foot drops between the old building and the addition.

“What we need to do is make the decision — are we going to put in an elevator or lift, or are we going to put in a fill and just have a ramp,” Ness said, adding that the latter option is the likely choice.

Cleveland’s new design reflects concerns for school safety and security, Ness said. A foyer outside the new gymnasium can be blocked off from the rest of the school so that evening or weekend visitors cannot roam the entire building. Also, visitors to the school during the day will be limited to an entrance near the office where staff can note their arrival.

Contractors will bid on the Cleveland project in September, with the goal of opening the school to students this time next year. The school will house third- through fifth-graders.

As for the middle school, several major decisions still remain, including how to handle traffic along Randolph Avenue when students cross from the middle school to the classes held in the high school. Fifty to 100 students will cross the street between classes, as well as at the start and end of the school day, Ness said.

“I’ve heard everything from leaving [Randolph] as it is... to gating it off during the school day or possibly closing it from Friberg to Burlington,” Ness said. While the district has ruled out an underground tunnel or overhead walkway, more discussion is needed before it determines the best solution.

Another dilemma is what to name the school, which will house sixth- through eighth-graders in one part of the building and ninth- through 12th-graders in another. Ness said the school board discussed the issue at a retreat Monday but will look to suggestions from community members before any decision is made.