OTTUMWA — The Ottumwa Community School District passed a resolution during Monday board of education meeting regarding the next major project at Ottumwa High School as part of a comprehensive renovation plan.
John Darveau of FRK Architects, outlined what the interior improvements to the building would look like as well as a timeline for when the work would begin. There is a tight turnaround between when bids would go out (Wednesday) and when construction is scheduled to begin (July 16).
The biggest changes as part of "Phase 2A" will come on the fourth floor of the high school and affect the Family and Consumer Science program as well other science classrooms.
"The culinary room is going to have a more peninsula-type arrangement and the cooking skills lab will have kind of 'co*ckpit-shaped units,'" Darveau said. "Science rooms will be on the south part of that fourth floor."
OHS principal Shelley Bramschreiber said most of the fourth floor will be under construction during the year.
"We won't be using it. However, we are maintaining a back portion of the fourth floor that has four science classroom spaces that we'll continue to use. Science teachers who are being moved to a temporary room will not have that lab space," she said. "They're so excited about their awesome spaces that are coming, and they know they're going to have to share spaces."
Bramschreiber said there will be some switching; for instance, if a science teacher is on the third floor and needs access to a lab room, that person will switch with a teacher on the fourth floor for a day.
"They're being very flexible about it, but most of the fourth floor will not be used until at least next semester."
Bramschreiber said that Mandy Walker, who leads the FCS program, will be moving back to the high school from Career Campus and "she's really excited about that."
"She'll have better access to all the kids and be able to recruit kids into her program," Bramschreiber said. "We'll be putting much of the equipment that's down here up there in the new culinary arts space on the fourth floor. It's going to be an awesome setup for FCS."
Another part of the project includes renovating the old gym by walling off where the track is to create space for a secure wrestling area, and making the main office more secure. The principal's office will be next to the attendance office.
"One of the goals was to create a secure entry that enters directly into the office," Darveau said. "So as you come up the front stairs, you buzz into that front set of doors, go up the stairs and you'll come into the office instead of going into the hallway."
The estimated cost for the phase of the renovation is just over $4 million, including soft costs.
Chief information officer Landon Allen then gave an update on the competition gymnasium. After the footings are poured this month, precast walls will be put up later in the summer. Many of the interior construction such as the gym floor and bleachers won't begin until next winter, but the building should be watertight by November.
When some of the heavier work begins, such as the wall work, East Second Street will be fully closed in front of the school. However, the City of Ottumwa has indicated to the district that Fourth Street, which is part of the ongoing sewer-separation project, will be completed by the time school starts.
In other business:
— Allen said the district has received 34 review requests for hazard zones as part of the school's new transportation plans starting next year, and that district officials continue to investigate them.
"We have granted some of those requests and denied others," he said. "Typically the way it works is that Mr. (Dave) Harper will be the first one to go out and look at the site, and make a determination. If that's challenged by the parent, then Dave will not tell me what his decision was, and I'll go out and look at it to see if we came to the same conclusion. So there are double reviews of some locations."
Allen said 68% of the hazard zones submitted relate to lack of solid sidewalks.
"Most parents that have submitted requests have understood why the request wasn't approved once you talk them through the benefits of what we're trying to do," he said. "Dave and I are pretty happy at the moment with where things are."
— Superintendent Mike McGrory gauged the board's interest in further cracking down on student cellphone usage by adding the high school to the list of buildings where they can't be used during school hours.
He wanted to form a committee of students, staff and parents to determine the meaning of cellphone usage, and then bring something official to the board that could be implemented before the school year starts.
"We've kind of progressively eliminated cellphone usage in schools, and we're scheduled to be kindergarten through ninth grade," McGrory said. "What if we looked at doing that the high school (which will be 10-12 next year)?
"It's been so well-received at the lower levels. You start looking at the mental health benefits, the lack of classroom disruption ... A big benefit for me is getting kids to interact with each other during the day, because schools that have banned cellphones have seen that kids are more active, too."
The idea was widely supported by the board, as Morgan Brown acknowledged he was surprised about the lack of complaints when the school district first introduced the ban at the lower levels.
"I think it's a great idea. When it was instituted at the middle school, I was bracing myself for the phone calls, the emails, and I got zero," he said. "That blew me away. I couldn't believe we made that big of a change with zero complaints."
McGrory said there are few schools in the state that have banned cellphones, but they would still likely be accessible for students how have health issues or other emergencies.
"I think parents now view things differently than they did 10 or 15 years ago. They see all the negatives that come along with cellphones," he said. "I think parents really see the downside — the social media bullying and other issues — and have certainly changed their opinion about the advantages of cellphones at school."
Similarly, board president Christina Schark said the district has been more effective at communicating to families as time has passed.
"People are getting messages through PowerSchool instantly and in their own language. I feel we're over-communicating with parents now, and you really don't need to hear from your kid," she said. "There are other ways of letting parents know about things, but I think we've taken care of that."
