The following questions were asked during the three Facilities Listening Sessions held May 16, 2019 and answered by Dr. Gabriel Lofton, Superintendent. They are organized by topic.
The six building plans presented on May 16 are:
Option A: build a new grades 6 through 12 building on the existing high school site.
Option F: build a new middle school either at the high school site or the middle school site, renovate the high school, and add on to the high school.
Option G: renovate the high school to house the middle school and build a new high school at the existing high school site.
Option I: build a new middle school and a new high school - each as separate buildings on the existing high school site.
Option L: build a new middle school either on the existing site or at the existing high school site, and maintain the high school as it is.
Option M: renovate and add to the middle school and renovate and add to the high school.
Illustrations of how new buildings could be positioned on the current middle and high school sites are in the presentation given during the Facilities Listening Sessions - which can be access here.
If you have a question, or would like more information on an answer provided here, please send an email to: [email protected]
THE LAST BOND ISSUE:
Q. Why did residents vote no on the last plan?
A. We believe there were a number of factors why voters rejected the last plan which was to build a new middle and high school on one campus on a new site. Voters rejected that plan three times. We are committed to doing a reset. We are committed to engaging the community early on and throughout this process to find out what would be supported.
Q. Is the plan that was voted down three times by voters - where a new middle and high school building would be built in a new location - off the table?
A. Yes.
Q. In these six options, is there money for site purchases like in the last plan?
A. No, in these six options, we will use sites we already own.
PLANNING/THE PROCESS
Q. Will this be on the November 2019 ballot and for how much millage?
A. That has not been determined. We can't answer that now because a finalized plan has not been chosen. Once a plan is chosen we can tabulate those costs and share them.
Q. When will this process wrap up and be finalized?
A. There are a lot of variables at play - the state needs to be ready to fund their share of the project. Currently Xenia is on a long list of districts needing funding. Over the next several months we will continue to have conversations with the public to receive feedback.
Q. Could the state offer more than a 46 percent share?
A. No. We are locked in to the 46 percent share from the state. That figure is determined by the state and is based on the wealth of the district divided by enrollment.
BUILDING SIZES/COMMUNITY GROWTH/SITES
Q. Is Warner over capacity?
A. Yes.
Q. Have these six possible building plans taken into account any future growth in population?
A. Yes
Q. Options A, G, and I propose building on the existing high school site. Could a new middle school and a new high school be built on the existing middle school site?
A. No, there is not enough room.
Q. What is the cost for property in these plans?
A. There is no cost to buy property. These plans utilize space we own.
COMBINING MIDDLE AND HIGH ON ONE SITE
Q. Will there be costs savings if the middle and high school share a site as proposed in Options A, G, and I?
A. Yes. Busing costs could go down and operational costs could go down. There will be energy savings as well, since the new buildings will be insulated better than the current buildings. There are many efficiencies to be gained by constructing new buildings, whether they are housed on the same site or on two different sites.
BUILDING MAINTENANCE/EFFICIENCY
Q. Do the plans include maintenance funds?
A. Yes, each plan's price includes a maintenance fund.
Q. Which of these options is most efficient?
A. The options that place the middle and high school on one site - Options A, G, and I - would be ideal for increasing instructional time. The buildings could potentially share resources such as maintenance, custodial, and food services. Busing could be more efficient if secondary students were housed on one site.
Q. From the outside Xenia High School looks nice but inside it needs updated, right?
A. Yes. The high school is in dire need of security updates and mechanical upgrades. The high school needs to have secure entrances.
Q. Will there be utility savings with renovated or new buildings?
A. Yes. A renovated or new building would be more energy efficient.
Q. Do you have specific figures on how much could be saved by building a new building versus renovating or maintaining existing buildings?
A. No, because we do not have a building plan yet we cannot calculate those savings. Once a plan is finalized and a renovation is configured, or a new building's square footage is determined, we could tabulate those costs.
Q. The newer elementaries are in need of some repairs already. What is the plan for that?
A. Brand new or old, we need to maintain our buildings and we are committed to doing just that. We have a 10-year maintenance plan and we have already started work on making fixes and improvements such as exterior improvements to Benner Field House and this summer the high school parking lot will be resurfaced, among other projects.
BUILDING PLANS/STUDENT NEEDS
Q. Would an elevator be added to Warner if it was renovated as proposed in Option M?
A. Yes, any new buildings or any renovations to buildings will be under the state's standards of accessibility.
Q. Options A, G, and I propose to build both the middle school and high school on the same site. Are there concerns about having young children together with older students?
A. Yes. There are some who believe young adolescents who are middle school age are not ready to share space or be in close proximity to an older high school student population. There are some who believe the efficiencies of having two buildings on one site, or one building to house grades 6 through 12, outweigh those concerns. If the community chooses one of the plans that places the middle school and high school on one site (Options A, G, or I) we will examine the best way to configure the buildings to ensure the most educationally appropriate approach to educate our kids, and to ensure the safety and security of all students.
Q. Have you incorporated changing technology needs in these plans?
A. Yes, the plans include full technology infrastructure.
Q. Will there be full size gyms in the buildings?
A. Yes
Q. Why is an auditorium an additional cost on some of these plans?
A. We will be working with the State and their Facilities Plan Commission and will receive 46 percent funding from them for renovations or new buildings. The state has stipulations on what they will and will not fund. They will fund certain parts of an auditorium, but not all. For example, they will fund a stage, scene shop, sound, and lighting, but will not fund seating.
Q. In Option A where grades 6 through 12 are in one building, would the middle and high schools share a cafeteria or would they be separated?
A. It's too early to make those decisions, but typically, each side would have their own cafeteria, but would share a kitchen to be more efficient.
Q. Would we still use Cox Stadium?
A. Yes, Cox Stadium would continue to be used as the primary football and track facility.
Q. Would the bus compound be moved from the high school if Options A, F, G, I, or L are chosen, as those options show a new building being constructed near the site of the existing bus area?
A. Yes. Currently the bus lot is at the high school and the bus maintenance facility is housed at the middle school. It would be more efficient to move the bus lot to the middle school site.
Q. In these plans would there be practice fields located on site?
A. Yes.
Q. Couldn't we use the existing auditorium?
A. No, it is not ideal. The auditorium is too old. It was built in 1977 and the lighting, sound, and seats are all original.
Q. Is the old track and field at the high school used?
A. It is used for band, soccer, lacrosse and physical education. The track is used primarily for walkers. If the fields would become sites for new buildings, they would be relocated elsewhere.
Q. Would students be displaced?
A. If the community chooses a plan that includes building renovations, students will have to move while construction is underway. During renovations students would have to be housed in temporary modular units or in some other temporary space. If new buildings were constructed students would not be displaced.
TRAFFIC CONCERNS
Q. Does the city have input on these plans?
A. Yes, the city is willing to help with logistics and planning. We will work together with the city on traffic concerns and traffic flow patterns. A member of the city's management team is a part of the Visioning Committee and the city is supportive of the school district's building options.
Q. Do these plans consider additional access roads?
A. Yes, there are road improvement funds built into each plan to help traffic flow.
Q. If the middle school is moved to the high school site that may increase transportation needs as many students currently walk to school. Has that been considered?
A. That is a very valid point and one we will consider.
Do you have a question or would you like more information? Please send us an email: [email protected]