The Centralia Grade School Board’s building committee is looking at a $1 to $1.5-million addition of a multipurpose room to the northeast side of Schiller Grade School.
Superintendent Craig Clark says the district could use some of its proceeds from the Marion County one cent sales tax to pay for the Schiller Grade School project.
“I think there’s multiple reasons for having extra space. Right now we are limited on options for students when we have inclement weather with lunch, they are sharing the lunch room with the gym, and the size of the gym is just not adequate for them to have an option for recess and also nighttime activities. Open house to Christmas programs to family reading nights, we are wanting to have a space where parents can have a space to engage in their child’s education and right now we just don’t have that.”
Clark says the district’s architect Paul Lunsford of Lunsford Architect will now complete full plans and cost estimates in time for the Centralia City Grade School Board meeting on February 9th. If everything is in order, he doesn’t expect construction to be able to begin until sometime in the fall.
The building committee also looked at its ten year life safety plan. Clark reports improvements are needed in all the buildings HVAC systems. He feels federal stimulus money could pay for that work.
“This money couldn’t come at a better time and if it’s earmarked for these special projects then I think we will be able to replace our buildings dated HVAC systems and air exchange will be up to date. We are actually thankful for that stimulus money.”
Clark is hopeful the HVAC improvements in each building can be completed this summer. He says another project at the top of the list is a new roof for the gym at Centralia Junior High School.
