Board of Education members are still struggling over whether to put a building project before voters this spring, how large of a project to undertake and getting the right mix of state aid and local taxpayer dollars.

The district has about $834,000 in Expanding our Children’s Educational and Learning (EXCEL) grant. For the last few months, the board has been trying to see how to leverage that money to address pressing maintenance needs at all of the schools, renovate or relocate the aging district office and repair athletic fields and even consider adding a pool.

Superintendent Susan Swartz is going to come back at the Jan. 28 meeting with a package of options for projects that the board could consider.

Monday’s session included discussion from Martin Weber of Dodge, Chamberlin, Luzine and Weber, the school’s architectural consultant. He said the district could get very little aid for building a pool — about $500,000 — and a pool would cost 20 times that amount. He also said that if the school district were to build additional classroom space, they could offset the cost.

However, board members pointed out that the district does not need classroom space.

Also, the board has discussed building an addition onto one of the schools to house the district office and tear down the building, which requires major maintenance.

However, Weber pointed out that just district office space could not receive state aid, but new classroom space to replace rooms used for an office, gets aid. State aid pays roughly 84 cents per dollar.

He said fields are considered an “incidental expense” and cannot receive aid, unless packaged with another project.

During the public comment period, a half-dozen speakers said action is needed on fields and other athletics issues.

Damian Croucher, assistant varsity football coach and assistant modified baseball coach, said the bleachers are a “mess” and people have ripped their jackets on them. He even fell through a hole in them one time. “It’s getting to be a liability,” he said.

Also, the baseball fields are too close together and there is a big drop-off in the soccer field where kickers could break their ankles. He urged upgrades for athletics because they reduce childhood obesity and reduce potential for substance abuse.

Local resident Jerry Moore said the athletes should raise money toward the field repair. “You stand ready to go out and twist the arms of voters. Will you stand ready to raise the funds to pay half the costs of fixing our fields?” he asked.

Board member Kurt Ahnert said the fields must be addressed.

However, Conlon said it might be better to wait to come up with the right project.
“If you want to tell the voters you’re forgoing $25 million worth of work to get the fields done right now, I don’t think the voters are going to say that’s good fiscal management,” he said.

Board member John Yagielski said he thinks the board should come to an idea in the middle — somewhere in between the two extremes of spending $30 million on a big project to get $5 million in aid for the fields, and doing a small project for just the fields that is not eligible for state aid.