The Edison Local Board of Education is looking to expand amenities at the Edison High School campus, and on Thursday they secured a contract with a firm to review options.
During the Feb. 21 session, officials approved a contract with MS Consultants of Youngstown to create a program design for future facilities at the high school. Superintendent Bill Beattie said the move is preliminary and there was no set timeline for work, but leaders hope to provide sporting and other facilities in a more centralized location.
“We are looking into a new 2,500-seat gymnasium and potentially an indoor, all-purpose facility and baseball, softball and track facilities, as well,” Beattie said. “We’re looking to potentially host everything on the current campus, including graduation. We are also looking to build a new transportation complex at the high school.”
The move, he said, would maintain them in one spot and save on travel for the sports. The baseball and softball fields are currently located near Jefferson State Lake and athletes also hold track practice and meets at the Stanton Elementary site. Additionally, junior high basketball practice takes place in the Stanton gym. Beattie said the idea has been on the board’s agenda since January and talks were informal for now, but the track project may be first on the list. A meeting was set for March 6 with the Massillon-based construction firm The Vasco Group to discuss it further.
There were no cost estimates or work timelines at this time, but officials believe this is the first step to bring the ideas to fruition.
“We will meet with MS and start to develop a program design for the facilities and discuss what we need to do to move forward. We will try to get the costs associated with it and hope to have it over the next two or three months.”
In other news, the board learned that EHS will roll out a new pilot project to provide 1:1 Chromebooks for seventh-graders. The initiative will be implemented for the remainder of the year, at which time officials will determine whether to expand it to other grades.
“If we the pilot project works out, we plan to expand it to seventh- to ninth-grade students during the 2019-20 school year,” Beattie added. “We will make a decision at the end of the year whether or not to roll it out further.”
The board also took a series of action on personnel and approved Paul Zelich, Thomas Peck and short-term employee Arika Coffy as additions to the substitute teacher list. Officials also accepted resignations from EHS teacher Jaye Taylor, effective at the end of the school year; school secretary Darlene Mason, effective May 31 for retirement purposes; bus driver Joe Atkins, effective Feb. 8; and custodian Jim Still, effective Feb. 12. The board further hired Nicole Herrmann as a tutor for Edison students attending Bishop John King Mussio, utilizing Title I Non-Public funds and not to exceed 66 hours, and also approved Terry Gooch as a bus driver. Meanwhile, supplemental contracts were approved for Todd Smith as head volleyball coach, Tony Kovalesky as Indian League director and Shane O’Brien for junior high track.
In other matters, the board:
–Heard from EHS teacher David Schultz and his government class, who were on hand to observe the session;
–Approved the school calendar for 2019-20;
–Entered into an agreement with Eastern Gateway Community College for Dual Credit Coursework;
–Agreed to revise student handbooks for all three district schools;
–Approved an overnight trip for the EHS Band from May 16-18 in Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus;
–Approved a contract with Strategic Solutions for paperless recordkeeping;
–Accepted a $440 donation from Christ United Methodist Church for the Paws Pantry and a $200 contribution from Jim Blackburn in memory of Gary W. Cain;
–Returned a $50,000 advance from the cafeteria to the general fund;
— Set the next regular meeting for March 21 at 7 p.m. at EHS.