District 4 bond would replace school with cracked floors, leaky roof – Anderson Independent Mail

Frances Parrish , frances.parrish@independentmail.com Published 9:03 a.m. ET March 11, 2017 | Updated 13 hours ago

A maintenance man does repair work on a closet causing odor in the gym at Riverside Middle School on Thursday, March 9, 2017 in Pendleton.(Photo: Katie McLean/ Independent Mail)

Cracked floors, aging roofs and separating walls are just some of the issues Anderson School District 4 hopes to eradicate with the construction of a new middle school.

Last month, the Pendleton-based school board voted to move forward with a $79 million bond referendum. It will go before voters May 2.

On the list of projects, District 4 Superintendent Joanne Avery saidbeing building repairs, new construction and safety upgrades are some of the immediate needs of the district.

"The plan is a result of lots of data collection and inclusion from the community," Avery said.

Instructional projects make upabout $62 million of the referendum. These projects include a new middle school, roof upgrades as well asheating, ventilation and air conditioning systemreplacements and upgrades to threeelementary schools. An agriculture classroom, lab and a sustainable garden are also on the list.

In the category of safety, about $3 million, projects includenew security gates for Mount Lebanon, Pendleton and Townville elementary schools as well as Pendleton High School. The other projects includecommunication safety rooms,outdoor fencing and door and window safety upgrades at all schools.

Narrow hallways are a hallmark of older sections of Riverside Middle School on Thursday, March 9, 2017 in Pendleton.(Photo: Katie McLean/ Independent Mail)

"We've spent a lot of time looking at safety," Avery said. "We have a different lens that we're looking at safety now. Having been through a school shooting, you take a step back and look at things a little differently."

Athletic projects equal about $11 million of the referendum. These projects includenew practice fields, a competition track and soccer field, a new competition high school gym as well as a renovated softball field and field house.

Spending on outdoor recreational projects would be about$2 million.Projects consist of playground upgrades at La France, Pendleton and Townville elementary schools, as well as walking trails for La France and Mount Lebanon elementary schools.Townville Elementary School athletic field upgrades are also on the list.

The biggest single expense is the new middle school. With the existing aging school, officials say it's more cost efficient in the long run to build a new one.

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"There's a lot of structural concerns based on the age of the (middle)school. It's going to need HVAC and roof renovations. The one road access point in (to the school) is a concern," Avery said. "We've spoken to DOT, and they've said once you touch that school, you'll have to deal with that road."

Riverside Middle School was built in 1955, and about 75 percent of the building is original. Prior to 1997, an addition with several classrooms was constructed and building renovations were also made in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Then in the mid-2000s, the kitchen, media center and several classrooms were renovated and expanded.

Now, aging clay pipes leave a sewer and musty smell throughout the school.Many of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning units are about 15 years old, and are so loudteachers have to use microphones in class so the students can hear them.

"When it's running, you're competing to be heard," said Riverside Middle School Principal Kevin Black.

About a year ago, the concrete overhang from the roof on the second floor was sagging and the district constructed braces to stabilize it.

In an upstairseighth-grade hallway,the floor near the stairwell is cracked and uneven, and the roof leaks, leaving brownstains on the ceiling tiles.

Significant cracks in the flooring can be seen in some of the older sections of Riverside Middle School on Thursday, March 9, 2017 in Pendleton.(Photo: Katie McLean/ Independent Mail)

In another hallway,the tileand concrete in the floor is separating. While it's been covered by a piece of metal so no one trips, the cracks are still exposed in theteacher's break room.

"How much longer do you have without pouring a lot of money into it?" Black said."The older the facility, the more problems you're going to have."

About 10 more classrooms are needed to house sixth-grade in the middle school, something the district believes is best for the children because they lose instructional time at the elementary schools,

Other significant building upgrades include roof and HVAC renovations for La France, Pendleton and Townville elementary schools. According to the report from Shepard & Associates, LLC, part of La France's roof needs to be repairedand another part of the roof will outlive it's lifespan in three to five years.

At Pendleton Elementary, part of the roof is 19 years old, and the company recommends to replace the roof as soon as possible instead of waiting until the end of its 25-year lifespan.

At Townville Elementary, part of the roof has outlived its lifespan and is recommended to be replaced as soon as possible, while newer additions to the school need a little maintenance.

"The renovations for the HVAC and roofs have to be done," Avery said. "That's an immediate need that will have to take place."

If the bond referendum passes, Avery said she hopes to get all or most of the projects completed in three to four years.

Follow Frances Parrish on Twitter @frances_AIM

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District 4 bond would replace school with cracked floors, leaky roof - Anderson Independent Mail