Published: November 25, 2007 01:26 am            

Ongoing renovation has the students split

By Tippi Rasp

Staff Writer



A number of Adams Elementary School classrooms temporarily have relocated to Northern Oklahoma College Enid’s Marshall Building.

Second-, third-, fourth- and sixth-graders are being taught on the first floor of Marshall Building while major renovations occur in the main building on the Adams campus across the street.

The entire staff and student body at Adams have been dealing with the major renovations at the east-side elementary school since classes began in August.

Major construction and renovation continues in bathrooms, and work continues on overhauling heating and cooling systems and replacing ceilings and windows. Enid Public Schools board members earlier this month approved changing plans to complete all work designated at the school — including new flooring — before students move back in.

The change order ap-proved by board members provides new vinyl composition floor tile and base for every room in the building. The addition of flooring — totaling $85,000 — will complete inside work in the building before students move back in.

In all, the school is receiving $1.2 million in renovations and improvements approved by voters in the 2003 bond issue election and city tax measure.

The flooring will be paid for from either excess sales tax revenue provided in the 2003 election or the change order reserve fund.

Principal Beverly James’ office has been relocated in the breezeway between the main building and the east wing, which currently houses the rest of the school’s students.

James said students in the east wing have been enjoying heated hallways and renovated bathrooms since school started. Those improvements — and the renovations on the main building — are being funded from proceeds from the 2003 bond issue election.



In the beginning ...



Enid Public Schools teamed with the city and asked voters for a combined $26.2 million bond issue and sales tax proposal that would meet immediate needs for the school district, provide technology upgrades and put the district on a bus replacement schedule.

Those proposals passed Feb. 11, 2003, and every school in the district has seen at least some improvements. About $14 million was secured to fund improvements at buildings, but only a portion of that has been spent, as construction and renovation continue at multiple sites on a phased plan.

School districts sell bonds in phases to keep property tax rates lower, and because the district can only incur so much bonded indebtedness at a time. Improvements under the 2003 measures are continuing, as secured funds become available.

Todd Earl, local businessman and chairman of the 2003 campaign, said four years ago school officials and bond issue committee members recognized the election measures were the “first in a number of steps necessary to address all of the facilities’ needs across the district.”

While some problems have arisen that increased the cost of a few of the projects funded by the 2003 election, Earl said school administrators have done an excellent job budgeting and making their dollars stretch.