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School board gets first look at Roanoke design

Members of the Huntington County Community School Corporation Board of School Trustees got a first glimpse of preliminary drawings of the new Roanoke Elementary School during the board’s regular meeting Monday, April 23.

Lead architect Adam Weesner of Barton Coe Vilamaa presented the plans, explaining he has been meeting with the school board design committee and HCCSC staff to ascertain the design of the two-story school building that meets the district’s needs.

Weesner said the building is placed as far east on the school property site to give the play fields and playground as much room as possible. The ground the present building sits on will eventually become a parking lot and green space.

The two drives at the school will be used as a one-way ingress and egress, splitting off to a circular drive for car drop-off and pickup, while buses take a separate drive to pick up and drop off children. All traffic would enter the school property on the west drive and exit via the east drive, Weesner said.

The master floor plan includes a cafeteria and gymnasium that share a multi-purpose stage, which can be used facing either direction, depending on how large of an audience is expected.

The gymnasium will have bleachers that can seat 502 people, Weesner added, and features a separate event entrance, which also will serve as the bus pickup and drop off entrance.

Drawings of the building’s facades feature a red brick exterior with limestone accents with a vintage look.

“The thought is, that fits into the town nicely; it somewhat echoes the school that’s there,” Weesner said. “But once you get inside the building it’s a 21st-century school. So we’re trying to balance both of those things.”

Weesner said the plans also show that adjustments can be made if Roanoke Elementary’s student population increases in the future.

“The building is designed with the potential to add on in the future,” he told the board. “Those are two one-story classroom wings that could be added on to. And then in the north portion, there is a two-story part of the building. A two-story portion could also be added on to the east.”

Board member Reed Christiansen noted the building will have an elevator in addition to staircases leading to the second floor.

Board member Brian Warpup was impressed with the plans, especially the vintage look of the building’s exterior.
“I know when I first saw it I didn’t know if it was the new one (school building) or the old one. Just as I glanced at it, in my mind it was perfect,” he said. “Basically, I want a brand-new old building. I think it looks very nice.”

“This whole process has been incredibly smooth – surprisingly smooth,” said board member Kevin Yarger, who sits on the design committee. “There are things we start out discussing and don’t agree on, but when it comes down to decision time it’s almost always unanimously the same decision. I think we’re very comfortable with it.”

Superintendent Randy Harris said he will go before the Roanoke Town Council on May 1 to update them on the plans for the new school.

The new Roanoke school plans and additional details can be seen in the board meeting video on the HCCSC Livestream website, livestream.com/HN HS/events/8144716/videos/173853428. Plans are also expected to be on display during the Roanoke Elementary School open house, which takes place Monday, May 7, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The board approved a request for a part-time criminal justice instructor for Career and Technical Education. Harris said the decision is to approve the position only; no one has been hired to fill the 185-day teacher contract position.

Harris also told the board that three of the four financial funds currently used by the district will be moved from the General Fund, CPF and Transportation funds into to two funds, the Educational Fund and Operational Fund beginning Jan. 1, 2019. Harris said as the board begins the budgeting process in July and August there will be more information about the changeover.

Harris said the Educational Fund will take care of classroom costs. The Operational Fund will address everything else in the district, including current CPF funds, transportation funds, costs for the district’s central office and maintenance/custodial costs. The Debt Service Fund will remain as is.

The board also heard a presentation from Lancaster School, given by Principal Melinda Otwinowski and several students. In anticipation of Lancaster’s closing at the end of this school year, a last celebration event will be held Saturday, May 26, from noon to 3 p.m. at the school.

As part of its legacy projects, students and staff of Lancaster also collected enough plastic lids to purchase two “buddy benches,” which they will donate to Salamonie School and Horace Mann Elementary School, which most students will be transferred to in the next school year.