Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Additional Frequently Asked Questions

Q: If the project is delayed, will students spend two years at Anthony Wayne?

A: There is no finalized construction schedule to date that would confirm any amount of time that students would occupy Anthony Wayne in the 2012-2013 school year.

During the process of selecting a contractor – the schedule and timeline for project completion will be part of the discussion. Could the project extend into the fall of 2012? Yes, but the board has options of changing the start time of the school year etc. to consider to avoid that scenario. In any case, there is no basis in fact to think that the project could last another full year. Of course, the safety and well-being of students will be a strong consideration when making any determination relating the location of students for schooling during the project.

Q: Why doesn’t the district stop the project and start in another year? Wouldn’t it cost less?

A: There is currently no consideration to postponing construction for one year. It is clear to everyone involved in the project (architects, engineers, board members, administration, etc.) that delaying the project until 2012-13 would clearly be a very expensive proposition for the District and its taxpayers. Predicted inflationary increases alone would lead to significant cost increases. Nonetheless, should the re-bidding process prove to be wholly unacceptable, the project could be delayed by a full year.

Q: Since this is a multi-million dollar project, can’t the district shop around until they find a contractor that will do it at our price and on our time schedule. 

A: Public school construction must follow very specific public bidding guidelines. We cannot "shop around for the best price." That would be illegal. Schools are required to publish specifications and information about the project. Any registered contractor must be permitted to submit a bid for the public project. Following this, bids must be awarded to the lowest responsible and “vetted” bidder.

Q: Has the District considered that there is more of an impact on current grade six students than any other grade level in the District?

A: There is great concern for all Quaker Valley students who need to be relocated due to the construction project. Certainly the relocation efforts will impact a variety of grade levels across the district. When Edgeworth and Osborne fifth grade students were relocated to Anthony Wayne during the elementary renovations, they did not reap the benefits of returning to a newly refurbished building. Similarly, next year's Grade 8 students will not have an opportunity to return to a fully renovated middle school.

It is our desire to relocate next year's grade 7 students for a single school year. As indicated earlier, the board and administration will make every effort to work toward that end.

The middle school renovation project is necessary. The fully renovated facility will serve as a community asset and will benefit thousands of Quaker Valley students for generations to come.

On another note, we have confidence in our students. Based on conversations with the principals and middle school teachers, we believe that all the middle school students will rise to the occasion and with the support of the staff and their parents, the students will overcome the temporary challenges and inconveniences of this change and become more resilient for the greater challenges they may face later in life.