Shown on Oct. 29, 2022, signs point out the age and historic nature of the Central School building.
The fate of Albany’s historic Central School appears unsettled once again now that the school board has received new estimates of what it would cost to make improvements.
In May, the board voted to install a heating, air conditioning and ventilation system in the 107-year-old building, enlarge the basement cafeteria, and raise the railings on interior ramps between floors as a safety measure, together costing an estimated $2.8 million.
Since then HMK, the firm coordinating the school district’s construction program, has engaged consultants to design the project. Last week, on Oct. 24, the school board got the stunning news about the likely cost: More than $6 million.
There was some back and forth about this at the board meeting. Superintendent Andy Gardner said he’d come up with a recommendation on how to proceed, and that’s where the board left the issue hanging.
The board was told that because of the nature of the building, air-handling units would have to be installed in each room. This is one of the items driving up the cost.
Another complication is that major changes to the exterior would have to pass review of the state historic preservation office.
For the last few years, Central has housed about 120 fourth- and fifth-graders, while about 140 children from the Central-Takena attendance area in kindergarten through third grade have gone to Takena Elementary School.
In the background is the possibility, favored by the previous school board, three of whose members got replaced in 2021, of enlarging Takena School to also teach children now attending Central, and to use Central for some other school district programs.
Even this alternative, though, would require extensive improvements such as installing air conditioning and modernizing the heating system.
Board member Michael Thomson favors combining the enrollment at Takena. He says this would be best for children and is what the Central staff prefers.
Board member Roger Nyquist has been holding fast to the idea of doing as much as possibe within the original estimate of $2.8 million, using part of the federal grants the district got related to Covid, to make students and staff comfortable at Central.
The entire school board meeting is available on YouTube. Check it out if you want to know who said what, though sometimes it’s hard to tell because the camera is stationary and far away and the audio is not always clear. (hh)
Here’s another view of Central School, from the southwest, on the afternoon of Oct. 29, 2022.
What are they paying for the Madison School, looks like they’re totally rebuilding it? And not even for the students. I think it’s for the administrators.
The former Madison School is owned by the Linn Benton Lincoln Education Service District, not the Albany schools. It’s the ESD that is remodeling the building.
The ESD was needed before Albany swallowed all the individual outlying schools to form GAPS in 1978. School quality went down from there. What does LBL ESD actually do to improve education?
What part of increased Central costs are driven by Covid unsupported regulations??
What’s up with school kids these days…needing, as Nyquist points out…that students and staff are made to be “comfortable at Central.”
Why, in my day, we used to walk barefooted to school 7-days a week, uphill both ways and through deep snow as well. Now tykes need air conditioning and central heat?
Perhaps if they just studied harder, their brains would release more energy in the form of warmth.
It is time to stop coddling children. The earlier they learn about disillusionment and disappointment, the stronger they will be. The County Commissioners should introduce a new “austerity plan” for Central and all the rest of our permissive schools.
Sorry but parents want their kids out of Central and the teachers want out of Central. If the Takena campus can house all the students through an addition for a similar cost it is a no brainer.
Sounds like HMK needs to be replaced. Why is the district still funneling money to this group? They went over time and budget on the new schools and West addition, now missed the cost estimate by more than double. In the real world they would have been fired.
I think Rodger needs to go back to focusing on poorly running the county’s own growth ambition and his bowling alley. (Like the new tech upgrade for the lanes!!)
Raze it. That’s a lotta $$$$$. ** smiling. **
So, the building doesn’t meet current needs.
At the time it was built. HVAC was open windows and radiarors. Standard lighting was dim by today’s rules, but folks were accustomed to dim.
The upgrade is an attempt to meet current needs. Repurposing is likely a better choice.