Schools superintendent supports facilities plan
Board being asked to spend millions to upgrade buildings.
OAKWOOD — Oakwood’s schools superintendent will recommend the board of education adopt a facilities plan that will cost tens of millions of dollars to update and improve existing buildings.
Oakwood Superintendent Kyle Ramey said he now has a better understanding of community priorities for the district’s proposed facilities master plan after a recent presentation and is recommending the board adopt it at the next meeting, Nov. 19.
“The goal of the plan is to ensure the district’s facilities remain safe, dry and secure, while supporting the educational and instructional needs of current and future Oakwood students and staff,” he said. “We heard loud and clear from our community, students and staff a strong desire to keep our current buildings. We are doing that, keeping our current buildings, not tearing them down.”
The entire project covers a projected time period between 2019 to 2038. The plans include preserving current buildings with infrastructure improvements, addressing performing arts rehearsal space issues and exploring the concept of an Early Learning Center for prekindergarten-through-first-grade students that could also serve as community space.
“We feel very confident in the information and feedback that was developed during the last two years of assessments, evaluations and meetings,” Ramey said. “Our next challenge will be working through the design process to develop a specific timeline to accomplish the work in Phase 1.”
Oakwood residents have raised numerous concerns about the proposals, including an increase to already high tax rates, loss of green space via new construction, whether that construction is needed given stable enrollment, preserving the character of existing buildings, and the mechanics of borroing enough money to execute an expensive project.
A less vocal group has urged the district to move forward with a major revamp of facilities.
The cost of the proposed four phases in the project ranges anywhere from $20 million to $90 million, depending on what the community and board support.
The estimated cost for Phase 1 of the project is $19 million, and the other phases will have costs determined later..
Traci Hale, community relations director for the district, said surveys that garnered feedback from the community regarding efforts on a long-range plan for facilities were helpful and more details will be released in November.
“We will be sharing the report with the community after the board approves it in November,” Hale said.