Grace Kirchner, Leader Correspondent
The Clintonville Board of Education has begun preliminary discussions about the future of Rexford-Longfellow Elementary School.
Board President Ben Huber said Tuesday that, with interest rates low but expected to increase, now might be the time for the board to discuss whether to remodel the facility, which includes the former high school building constructed in 1918, or build a new school.
Superintendent Tom O’Toole noted that a committee in 2008 recommended several options for the building, but it never went to referendum.
The most obvious options include demolishing the 1918 section, which is still utilized, and adding onto the elementary school; remodeling both buildings; or building a new school on a different site.
O’Toole said he expects to meet with consultants soon to gather information on costs and ideas and then report back to the board.
The debt on the high school on Green Tree Road will be paid off in seven years, which might be an opportune time for a referendum, board member Dirk Weber noted. Weber said a new building might be the best solution.
Board member Clyde Tellock spoke against demolishing the 1918 building. He cited schools in New London and Appleton that either remodeled or found another use for the buildings.
Board member Jim Dins expressed concerns about the heating/air condition system. “If the heating system fails, at what cost would it be to repair? I do not recommend a new heating system in the present building.”