By Anna McFall
City and school officials will begin the next phase of the planning process following the recommendation to build a new elementary school in Trussville. This decision comes after an 18 person committee met with school administrators Wednesday for the second time to discuss the location and resolve the overcrowding issue that the school system is currently dealing with.
The new elementary school will be located on Mary Taylor Road, off of Highway 11, near the Hidden Trace and South Magnolia subdivisions, if the BOE accepts the recommendation of the steering committee.
The two sites under consideration were the old middle school, located next to the football stadium, which sits on six acres and the 39-acre site located on Mary Taylor Road.
The new elementary school will relieve the overcrowding of the Paine schools and eliminate modular buildings, which have housed students since before the city system separated from Jefferson County seven years ago. Currently, there are 300 children in portables at the school.
The committee, parents and community members were given an open forum to ask questions about the plans, presented by architect Michael Brady, whose firm is handling the design of the project. During the meeting, two design options were presented. Each design included all of the same elements, so committee members could make an even comparison.
Parents and staff members expressed concerns over the new site, fearing it would not be of the same caliber as the Paine schools. Some parents admitted coming to the meeting in opposition of the new school, and after hearing the presentation, were swayed to building a new school.
Resident Leah Erwin says she came in to the meeting thinking the former middle school would be an ideal location, but changed her mind once presented with new information.
“I was dead set on the renovation,” she said. “But the presentation changed my mind.”
Current faculty members agreed the new school would be the best option, some because of the success of the Paine system.
“Being in a newly constructed school is heaven,” said Paine Primary Principal Betsy Schmitt. “We are very proud of the new schools, but I am all for the new building.”
After considerations were presented, renovations to the former middle school would cost ,785,000 and the design of a new school in terms of construction and new amenities will cost ,948,700.
Cost was not the main concern of the project, although highly influential. Other issues presented include traffic flow, transportation, safety and upkeep of the two sites. The portable classrooms currently in place also present their own set of concerns. Portables are a campus safety issue, administrators say
. There are also weather-related issues, cost of maintenance and a general disconnection from other students and faculty who are able to be inside an actual building.
With the new school design, students will be in an environment where learning comes first. The new facility will include a 400 seat capacity cafeteria, one large gym, a designated bus drop off area with a covered pavilion, several playground and recreational areas, and the building can be easily expanded for future growth.
“We tried to simplify this,” Brady said. “The new school will reduce operational cost, reduces transportation for students and will be a secure, easily monitored facility.”
The school will also be equipped with “Columbine Locks” on the inside of each door. They are designed to allow the teacher to lock their students safely inside their classrooms in the event of an emergency.
Classrooms will be 900 square feet, with plenty of storage space for teachers and will feature a media center for teachers to easily incorporate new technologies into the classroom.
“We designed this around the core of 1,000 students,” Brady said. “Classrooms will facilitate 700 students with plenty of room for expansion.”
The new school will be 102,372 square feet and the renovation of the former middle school space would total 130,511 square feet.
Factors that were considered by the committee included: traffic flow, parking, interior design, bathroom facilities, playground areas, energy efficiency, operation cost and location.
The major concern for some parents at the meeting was the location of the train tracks and crossing located on Mary Taylor Road. The city is working to help alleviate these concerns as much as possible.
“The city is prepared to work with the city of Birmingham to improve the road for additional traffic,” Mayor Melton said.
Members of the committee include Mayor Gene Melton, Danny Garrett, Betsy Schmitt, Beth Bruno, Phyllis Faust, Ammie Akin, Jim Kirkland, Jerry Cataldo, Sandra Vernon, Gene Curtis, Molly Schappacher, Holly Batusic, and Scott Buttram.
The next step in the system’s plan is to hold two open forum meetings for community members to attend. According to Dr. Neill, the committee will make a recommendation to the board early in 2013.
“As we go forward, the committee will make a recommendation to the Board of Education in February,” Neill said.
While the steering committee still has a long way to go, everyone agrees that the most important aspect of this project are the students themselves.
“At the end of the day, we are doing what’s best for Trussville,” Mayor Melton said.