Apr 3, 2002 By Steve Ferris 4 min read

BROWNSVILLE – Brownsville Area School District residents had the opportunity Tuesday to learn and ask questions about a proposed plan to renovate and expand the high school/middle school building at an estimated cost of $23.5 million. The school board will consider approving the plan at a special meeting that starts at 8 p.m. today.

About 30 residents attended Tuesday’s building and grounds committee meeting, which began with Dick Jaymes of the architectural firm N. John Cunzolo and Associates of Pittsburgh outlining the plan, other construction options and project costs.

The plan under consideration involves building an addition to the rear of the existing overcrowded building that would enable the district to almost completely separate the middle school program from the high school program.

Currently, students from both programs are forced to share the gym, auditorium, auxiliary gym, cafeteria, industrial arts shops, library, locker room and music room.

Jaymes said only the auditorium would be shared if the board decides to proceed with the plan.

The existing library and gym would be converted into high school classrooms. Renovations would result in an increase in the total number of regular education and special education classrooms in the high school from 31 to 41. New science and computer labs, a gym, and rooms for home economics, industrial arts, band and music are also included.

Most middle school classes are currently held in the building’s annex, which would become part of a new middle school wing containing a new library, gym, cafeteria and 10 new classrooms.

Sixth grade would be transferred from the elementary schools into the middle school, leaving the three elementary schools to house kindergarten through fifth grade, Jaymes said.

There would be separate entrances for the high school and middle school.

Superintendent Dr. Gerry Grant said the solicitor is preparing a contract between the district and Attillo Cicconi for the trade of property needed to building the addition.

Cicconi owns a 9.6-acre parcel of land the district needs and the district is offering a 22-acre hillside parcel in an even trade for the needed property.

Construction would cost $18.8 million, Jaymes said. The cost of furniture, computer wiring, hiring a construction manager, financing and creating a contingency fund drives the total cost to $23.5 million, he said.

If the board approves the plan tonight and the Department of Education approves the plan, construction would start in March 2003, he said.

Grant said the plan includes funding for temporary modular classrooms to relieve overcrowding until the project is complete.

Although the board seems to favor that plan, Jaymes outlined three other options.

The second option involves renovating all three elementary schools in addition to the high school/middle school project. Construction would cost $29 million, but it would require a $37 million bond issue.

The third option is converting the high school/middle school into a school for all elementary students, building a new high school/middle school and closing the existing elementary schools. Construction would cost $38.5 million and require a $47 million bond issue.

The fourth option is building a school for all elementary students, renovating and expanding the high school/middle school and closing the existing elementary schools. It would cost about the same as the third option.

“Those are huge numbers,” Jaymes said, noting that the board could chose any of the options or parts of more than one option.

Since the board has leaned toward the first option, Jaymes said it would qualify for $8.5 million in reimbursement from the Department of Education and require the district to pay the remaining 70 percent of the cost.

Board member Melvin Sally said he preferred the plans that included a new elementary school due to the cost of maintaining the existing elementary schools, which are about 40 years old.

Business manager William Boucher estimated that the district’s annual debt service payments would be $1.69 million if it borrowed $25 million at 5.5 percent interest for 30 years.

Harold Richardson, a former board member, suggested that the board contact the State Public School Building Authority because it has a variety of services available to districts.

Other residents asked the board why it was considering any construction project after it closed three schools in the fall, laid off employees, has a budget deficit.

Grant said schools were closed and employees were laid off to save money and the district’s deficit would be larger if the board didn’t take those actions.