Editor’s Note — This is the second of a three-part series detailing the bond question that Ardmore City Schools has placed on the April 1 ballot.
When CWA Group Architecture performed an assessment of the current high school building, it found challenges that not all high school buildings have.
Superintendent Andy Davis said maintenance at the building is nearly equal to that of all the district facilities combined. As an example, he said replacing the air conditioning units is not a simple exercise because it would require the district to pull the roof off because there is no access port to where they are located.
“The only way to get up there is to go straight up through the ladders and it is a manhole cover,” he said. “That is the only way and so when they are getting parts up there, they have to put them in a bucket and pull them up with a rope.
“You can put an entire new school underneath that roof. It is that big, it is massive. And it is multi-leveled and to put in a unit, you would have to cut a hole at the end of the building or pull the roof off and try to get to it.”
Davis said anytime you have a project with that much weight, you cannot have kids in the building. The current building also does not have a fire suppression system along with facilities that are not compliant with the American Disabilities Act. Davis said those requirements were not part of the code system when the building was constructed over 50 years ago.
The district also does not have room for all its athletic teams.
“There is no saferoom or storm shelter,” he said. “In today’s time, these storms are getting worse and worse. Going into the underground part of a locker room is not a storm shelter and that is what we are doing right now.”
Assistant to the Superintendent Morgan Manley said the needs of the 1970 buildings are different from the needs of current buildings. Davis the actual size of the classrooms are smaller and the science labs are outdated.
“They have collapsed lines and drains that are plugged up,” he said. “They are not like they need to be. The open concept of the high school, being like a college campus with all the separate buildings was a big deal in 1970. But now, that presents safety and security issues.”
The new high school plans include a freshman wing, which would allow the younger students a better opportunity to acclimate themselves. Davis said the wing would provide assistance with discipline and described it as an extension of the grade centers.
STEM, or Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, will have labs where kids can do their hands-on learning projects, which is how kids learn best Davis said.
“We currently do not have STEM Labs, especially not the set-up that we need for today,” he said. “Our current labs our way outdated for what you need today. You would have STEM labs, you would have science labs. There is a science lab that serves as a classroom. It is built as a science lab, it is a modern design where the services are made for doing hands-on projects as well. That is the big thing. We don’t have the facilities to do that currently.”
According to the Oklahoma State School Boards Association, ACS currently ranks 17th in millage among its Class 4A peers and fourth in Carter County. Approval of the bond would place the district 5th in Class 4A, between Cache and Glenpool, slightly above Ada.
“Our facilities are behind the people we play in our district,” he said.
When considering the basketball gym, Ardmore falls behind area schools such as Plainview, Lone Grove and Wilson.
“The longer we wait, the more cost goes up too,” Davis said. “It is the cost of doing nothing. The Madill gym, which our gym is based on, it is the same architect. It costs $14 million in 2017-18. This one is already a little over $20 million. And it does not have all the classrooms attached to it. The costs comparison is not quite the same.”
Davis said if voters opt to not approve a bond to build a new high school, renovations in the area of $60 million are needed for the old high school to address the aging facility and security issues. There will also be the additional cost of housing students, which cannot be covered with bond funds. Davis said it would be expensive with the addition of portable buildings and facility rentals.
Davis said there was a lot of discussion about needs with the board and it was determined by the board and administration that it is better to build to meet those needs rather than renovate, which means the displacement of students and disruption of their education.
“You will need enough buildings to place 700 to 800 people.” he said. “Including a cafeteria set up. Office spaces, bathrooms. It is massive.”
Early voting for the bond will begin Thursday with election day set for April 1. The bond question is limited to those who live within the Ardmore City Schools District.
“As a school board member, I firmly believe the time is now to act for the future of our community,” Board Member Steve Oliver said. “Our current high school, over 50 years old, is in dire need of replacement, and renovating it would be too costly. The timing for a new high school, including modern gymnasium, is never going to be ideal. Delaying this decision will only increase costs and limit our options. We have a unique opportunity to invest in our student’s education and well-being now, ensuring they have the resources they need for success in the years to come.”
See the Wednesday edition of The Ardmoreite for the third installment, “The plan.”
