Important Questions about Phase #2
1. Why are we adding 20,000 square feet to an elementary building that just opened January 5, 2009?
The OSFC relies on 10-year enrollment projections to determine square footage. At the time the master plan was done for the elementary (in spite of exhaustive efforts by district leaders to refute the figures) the OSFC set the size of the building to that specific projection.
In our most recent 10-year projection, the figures are close to what the District argued for originally. We now qualify for 20,000 additional square feet but it must be included in a bond issue for the remainder of the district "master plan completion."
2. Why are we building a new high school when the existing high school was built in 1969?
In 2001 when the assessing team evaluated the building, renovate vs. replace was at 40%. The latest assessment (completed February 2009) put our renovate vs. replace at 75%. What does this mean? The OSFC will put $24,000,000 into renovating the high school or build new at a cost of $27,000,000. Due to the inadequacy/decay of existing systems, the building has probably decayed sooner than it should have.
3. Why renovate/add to the Junior High School (built in 1918)?
I believe that the junior high is the last vestige of what Defiance has been historically. The Junior High/Auditorium campus is a symbol crossing generations of graduates/residents. It is a scenic reminder of our past, present and future. It is important to have an educational presence in the city.
The 1918 building was not built as efficiently as modern buildings. We need to demolish/add on the portion between the junior high and the middle school to house our present academic programs.
Questions? Comments? Please contact us.
