Local News
Memorial eyes major makeover
EDMOND — EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the final story in a three-part series examining needs listed on the Nov. 10 Edmond Public Schools bond election. Today’s story examines plans for high schools. Thursday’s story focused on middle school needs; Wednesday’s story looked at elementary school needs.
In the Edmond School District bond election coming up Tuesday, one high school will receive a large piece of the $36.12 million pie.
Memorial High School, 1000 E. 15th St., first built in 1964, opened for classes in 1966 as a mid-high school, Associate Superintendent of District Operations Bret Towne said.
The school was built in phases with construction and additions in 1969, 1970, 1974, 1978 and 1983, with the high school moving to the present location in the 1970s, Towne said.
“We are talking about major renovations at Memorial, including constructing and equipping an area of the school’s original building, which includes classrooms, hallways, lecture rooms, the art room and consumer and family sciences room,” Towne said.
Work to be done includes ceilings, heating and air, doors, original casework, lighting, electrical, paint and finishes to the original parts of the school.
“We are talking about 30,000 square feet at a cost of $6.6 million,” Towne said.
The last renovation to the school included the auditorium, which was finished in April.
“When we remodeled the auditorium we were not able to complete the back stage area expansion,” Towne added. “This is the area where they build sets and have their storage.”
In addition to purchasing and installing equipment and cabling to increase bandwidth, computers, computer software, technology-related equipment, phone systems and technology-related support services at a cost of $2.65 million, repair and replacement of roofing also will take place at Memorial and North high schools, Orvis Risner Elementary School, 2801 S. Rankin, and the Administrative Center, 1001 W. Danforth.
Santa Fe High School band students also will receive new band uniforms with the passage of the bond issue.
Security cameras and security door upgrades will also be provided at six elementary schools in the amount of $200,000.
Administrative Center
The bond issue includes an 11,000-square-foot addition for the administrative center, expanding the facility’s meeting space.
“The bond issue will only pay for part of it, the rest will be funded from previous bond fund interest earnings,” Towne said.
During Monday night’s school board meeting chairs were set up for 40 people and the crowd numbered 70 or 80, Towne said.
“We moved recognition of two groups to next month,” he said.
Towne said part of the problem with simply moving the meeting to other locations would involve setup and part would involve notifying the public where the meeting would take place.
“When you have a public meeting everyone needs to know where and when the meeting is going to be held,” Towne said.
The building also would be used for teacher training, workshops and a larger technology training area.
“At this time when we have a principals meeting the present room will not hold all of the administrators and principals,” Towne said.
The new addition will have the capacity to seat more than 200 people compared to the current room’s maximum of 60 seated or 40 with tables and chairs.
Proposition No. 2: School Transportation Equipment
New transportation engine and emissions standards will add $6,000 to the price of a new bus, Towne said.
“At this time we have about 130 buses that we do not have to retrofit,” Towne said, “but with the new regulations we will be purchasing one new bus less than we would normally buy. Right now we are looking at buying around nine, maybe 10 buses.”
The new buses will include small school buses for special needs students as well as utility vehicles.
“The utility vehicles could include a suburban and probably a transportation vehicle like a small pickup,” Towne said.
Kemp Cole, president of the school board, urged everyone to vote “Yes” for the 2009 bond issue. It takes 60 percent of the votes cast for the bond issue to pass.
“I appreciate the support of the community in the past,” Cole said. “Because of the low state funding this year it is imperative that everyone get out and support the passage of the bond issue.”
POLLS will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday in Edmond.
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