Teachers Help Design Future Cameron School
By ANNIE DIMMICKFact Box
The next Marshall County Board of Education meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. June 24 at the Board of Education offices, Fourth Street, Moundsville.
During a Marshall County Board of Education meeting Tuesday, board members approved allowing the contractors and architects to move forward in designing the new building and estimating its cost.
“There are certain things we have to get prepared so we can present to the (School Building Authority) our commitment to the school and to the community,” Renzella said. “All we could do is fabricate a picture, but this allows us to pursue a literal rendering of what the school would look like. Now, people can have an idea of exactly what the school would look like.”
He noted the project’s architects have received input from teachers as to what features they would like to see. He said the architects will base their design on what the teachers feel is necessary.
On April 30, board members opted to proceed investigating the possibility of constructing a new high school, thus choosing to suspend plans to use $2.5 million of the school system’s $27. 9 million bond to renovate the current structure. Superintendent Fred Renzella said a recent study of the building done by the architects and engineers of McKinley and Associates of Wheeling shows those renovations will not be enough to correct several deficiencies.
The West Virginia School Building Authority is expected to award $16 million to the county to construct the school. The $2.5 million originally designated for Cameron High School also will go toward the construction.
However, the SBA still needs to review the project and the design option and cost estimate must be provided as part of a “needs application” the board must submit to the SBA. Renzella said by approving the design option and a cost estimate arrangement, the school system is one step closer to making the new school a reality. If the funding is approved, the new Cameron High School would be open for the 2011-12 school year, Renzella said.
While Renzella said the estimated cost of the project is $20 million to $22 million. However, he noted contractors with Project and Construction Services Inc. must still conduct an official cost estimate and constructability review.
He said the cost estimate is expected to be completed in the next few months, and that, along with the needs application and other required information will then be passed on to the SBA for review.
A decision from the SBA on whether they will provide the $16 million for the project is expected next year.
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eToothman
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06-14-08 11:34 AM
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Yes, Katydid...be glad etoothman isn't involved making those decisions because she realizes the money isn't "free" and it does nothing to improve real "performance" in education. She also realizes that budgets are most always 'inflated' by anyone asked to participate because they view it as "free". The brilliant idea of putting "Teachers in Charge"-- the outcome will become a "wish list"...forgetting it isn't 'free' money. The second thing guaranteed is that teacher's will complain that it "won't be big enough or won't be nice enough"... But you are correct...it's a good thing etoothman isn't making decisions for Marshal County--we would be focusing more efforts on "performance" and improving education, inspiring learning, defining new teaching methods (w/o spending $$)...instead. (Parents would be more impressed when they view the "report card of Cameron")...
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katydid
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06-12-08 9:40 AM
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Fortunately, eToothman isn't making the decisions for Marshall County. If MC turns the money down today, there are 54 other counties waiting with their hands out. That money IS going to be awarded, so why shouldn't Marshall County be the recipient? Cameron needs and supports the new high school construction! Another point, take a look at the current building projects in MC. None of them are running overcosts. In fact, the last time I checked, I believe they were all coming in under bid.
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eToothman
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06-11-08 10:40 AM
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Education architects are shysters...their scheme is to bid low, then keep supplementing the bid toward the end of the project, costing taxpayers millions. ...still not convinced of the Cost/Justification of this particular project. Great education can take place in a "barn"; so this formula of spending taxpayers money on cheapy shiney new buildings does nothing to improve education because the same 'old' system goes back into it.
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spongebob
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06-11-08 10:31 AM
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REMEMBER- It is like the committee that set out to design a HORSE and the final product came out a CAMEL don't be disappointed.
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