Shelby school plans building upgrades to cut noise
Less than 18 months after its opening, Shelby’s new pre-kindergartenthrough-eighth-grade school is set to undergo renovations to reduce interior noise levels.
“It’s extremely loud and very hard to hear throughout there,” Shelby Superintendent of Schools Michael Browning said at the Feb. 19 school board meeting. “They’ve got some panels and they got ceiling tiles that they’re going to put in to help reduce some of the noise that’s back there in the kitchen area, especially in the serving area.”
Highlighting the board’s meeting agenda was the board’s approval of a comprehensive acoustic treatment plan for the new PK-8 building, targeting the gymnasium, cafeteria, and kitchen areas.
This initiative is designed to significantly reduce noise levels, creating a more conducive learning and dining environment for students and staff.
Experts believe the work will reduce the noise and get it to a level “that is not only acceptable for (state) Bureau of Workers’ Compensation but really for our employees since they’re in there all day,” Browning said.
“That noise, it’s very dangerous for them to get to the point where they should be wearing some type of a protective hearing inside of the gymnasium,” he told the school board.
“So this should help dramatically reduce that noise level. And the same thing in the commons area, the cafeteria area, the K-8, they should be able to reduce some of that noise” through the upcoming work, Browning said.
“Luckily, the kids are only in there for a short period, so their ears aren’t going to have the brunt of that,” Browning said after the meeting. “But for a teacher who’s in there all day...”
The building debuted for the 2022-23 school year. The new school combined Dowds Elementary School, Auburn Elementary School, and Shelby Middle School into one building.
For a “bunch of reasons” when the school was built, items were cut out of the plan, Browning said. “And now here we are a year and a half later, having to deal with what happens when you cut out things for the budget,” Browning added.
Assistant Shelby Superintendent Paul Walker offered further insights.
“Honestly, we’re better off to have waited” as opposed to initially just throwing “some panels on the wall” and “thinking that’s going to be enough,” he said.
The upcoming acoustic work was “a long process, very detailed,” he said.
“A lot of testing after you’re already in there, and the structure is really built to come back in and do this,” Walker told the school board. “Really, almost, I would give that advice to anybody building a new school. Wait to do this part once you’re in there versus just throwing up some panels. You don’t know if they’re going to work or not.”
Board vice president Kim Nadolsky expressed hope for the special ceiling tiles project.
“Teachers that are working in there too, I’m sure they will appreciate it, and the students being in there to eat, too,” she said. “Hopefully, we’ll notice a difference in the sound level.”
Browning said that should be the case.
“Even the workers in the cafeteria have said that the sound is really high, especially when you get a lot of students just coming out of recess,” he said. “They’re excited. They’re going through lunch. So hopefully, that will help mitigate some of those noise levels and make it a more enjoyable experience for everybody.”
The total project is $110,000, but with a grant, the cost would be
$70,000, the district treasurer, Beth Lykins, said later.
Separately, the board also approved a quote of $25,100 for brick veneer replacement on the west end of the Board of Education building, home of Shelby’s former high school and later the middle school.
Additionally, the school board demonstrated its support for athletics by approving plans for the girls and boys indoor track teams
to compete at the Nike Indoor Nationals in New York.
Further demonstrating the district’s engagement with athletic programs, the board authorized the 2024-2025 membership in the Ohio High School Athletic Association, ensuring compliance with regulations and the continuation of Shelby City Schools’ robust athletic tradition.
Other key points at the Feb. 19 meeting included spotlighting students who excelled in the ACT, the recent trip to eight states by the Shelby FFA, and various field trip
plans. They include a 2024 eighth-grade trip to Washington, D.C. and a 2025 Shelby High School choir and band trip to Chicago.
Meeting in the David A. Jones Little Theater, the board approved routine personnel changes and volunteer coaches and recognized donations to the district among agenda items addressing students’ academic and extracurricular needs.
Much of the meeting was devoted to public concerns and the superintendent’s report, which provided facility and district updates, including a
financial report.
Treasurer’s items were also approved, with particular attention given to donations received by the district, which included a Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Video Kit and a donation for the Fred Cooke Memorial Bench and plaque.
The board also reviewed and consented to the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) State Leadership Conferences in Columbus and potential overnight lodging for the state track meet in Dayton.