Many thanks to everyone that attended the OJR SB Building and Grounds Committee Meeting tonight. We are all hopeful that the OJR SB and Administration is sincerely interested in keeping the OJR Pool OPEN, and working with the Aquatics Community.
Does anyone know when the OJR Pool will be OPEN after this season, and what if anything the OJR SB will do to provide a Temporary Location for:
1) The High School Swimming and Diving Team
2) The Age Group Swimming and Diving Team
3) The Community Swim Program, that benefits ALL TAXPAYERS of OJR.
Please tell us what you think, and take a guess when the OJR Pool will open once again. Many of us attended the meeting, BUT we still have NO CLUE, do you ?
Does anyone know when the OJR Pool will be OPEN after this season, and what if anything the OJR SB will do to provide a Temporary Location for:
1) The High School Swimming and Diving Team
2) The Age Group Swimming and Diving Team
3) The Community Swim Program, that benefits ALL TAXPAYERS of OJR.
Please tell us what you think, and take a guess when the OJR Pool will open once again. Many of us attended the meeting, BUT we still have NO CLUE, do you ?
5 comments:
After attending the meeting last night, I think there are still a lot of questions that need to be answered. Some of these questions include:
* When and where are a few of the next Pool Committe meetings?
* Are there meeting minutes from prior meetings for OJR parents to view?
* What has the Pool Committee proposed as alternatives for the school board to consider?
* Have other locations been sought for us to swim?
* Where are the dollar figures for everyone to review for alternatives:
- cost to keep the pool open (has the contractor been asked to provide this)?
- what is the cost for a modular pool?
- what is the cost for a bubble to be put over an outside pool?
- has the board been asked to consider the safety of a modular pool on-site?
One of the items that I think was of concern last night is that the parents had several ideas for he swimming program to continue running, but there are no figures
or dollar amounts for anyone to consider. Even though Dutton and others seemed to show some compassion last evening, it was also made very clear that the Pool Committee and Age Group Team need to continue taking an active approach in seeking alternatives. Do we need to start from the beginning or has some of the foundation and research already been done?
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Posted on Wed, Jan 23, 2008 Renovations leave OJR swimming in limbo
By Laura Catalano, Special to The Mercury
John Strickler/The Mercury OJR swimmers dive from the starting blocks into the pool at Owen J. Roberts Middle School.
SOUTH COVENTRY — Parents and students in the Owen J. Roberts age group swim team don’t want their program shelved next year when the middle school closes for renovations.
More than 100 people crammed into the district’s meeting room during a board buildings and grounds committee meeting Tuesday night. Most were there to plead with the committee to either keep the middle school pool open during construction, or help them find an alternative place to swim.
Committee Chairman John M. Dutton ended the 90-minute discussion by vowing to help find a solution, if possible.
“I make a promise to everybody in this room that I will do my damnedest,” Dutton said.
Earlier, school board member Debbie Bissland also said she would “work in any way possible,” to assist the group.
But exactly what the school board will or even can do remains to be seen, and will likely depend on finances and construction schedules.
Later in the meeting, Dutton asked Greg McMurray of Turner Construction, which is handling the middle school construction project, to determine the impacts of completing the pool at the beginning of the project, so that it would be closed for only a single swim season. McMurray will have that available at a future board meeting.
At issue is the middle school pool, which is scheduled to close in June, when the entire building is vacated
for a renovation expected to last through September 2009, and possibly into January. The school is being renovated and converted to a seventh- and eighth-grade facility.
Next year, seventh- and eighth-graders will be taught in a new wing of the high school.
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Plans also call for closing the pool for the entire year. That leaves the age group swim team with no place to practice.
“I really like the (swim team) program. It’s been a wonderful thing for my daughter this year, and I hope we can keep it going,” said parent Gil Hoopes. “I’m curious as to why the decision was not made to have an alternate plan.”
What Hoopes, and many other parents and swimmers, would really like is for the pool to remain open during swim season, while the rest of the building is under construction.
However, district officials said that would require the project to be done in phases, adding to both the cost and the timing of construction. It would also necessitate paying additional utilities, and would require a change to bid documents, which are set to go out in March.
“We do not want age-group (swim team) not to be in existence, but to keep the building open to allow the pool to be used would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars on top of what we’re already paying and put the project back approximately four months,” said Superintendent Myra Forrest. “We’re talking about major dollars and a large inconvenience for the entire school district. I have to look at the good of everyone, and I have to look at the good of the taxpayers.”
Dutton pointed out that the district had originally borrowed $91 million for three construction projects including building a new elementary school, adding a wing to the high school and renovating the middle school — all of which are in the works. Because of cost escalations, the district has since had to borrow another $15 million for those projects.
“We’re trying to bring everything else in for those dollar amounts, without having to go back to the taxpayer,” Dutton said.
District Business Manager Jaclin Krumrine said that keeping the building open “would add at least a half a million dollars to the middle school project.”
But exact figures haven’t actually been determined, and some parents were infuriated by that. McMurray, of Turner Construction, said the board had not asked him to come up with a cost estimate for keeping the pool open, although he did agree it would add to the expense and timing.
After the meeting, parent Dee Bennett wondered why the board hadn’t sought a cost estimate.
“If you care anything about the kids, why are you not asking that question?” she wondered.
While most parents wanted the pool left open, others sought different solutions.
Swim team president Ron Thompson argued that he had been looking for a pool to practice in for two years, and while one potential pool had been located, it did not contain a diving well.
“We’re in a situation where we could use help from the district, even from the standpoint of your knowing people who can get us a place to swim,” Thompson said.
Parent Bill Keenan said he had a petition with 196 signatures, and had circulated another with 200 signatures, all seeking support for the pool. He asked if the board could provide monetary support.
“Can you help us in any way, shape or form, dollars and cents wise, to get another pool?” he asked. “Money can be helpful.”
But Dutton pointed out that “the board and district are willing to help but we have to think of the taxpayer.”
Parent Chris DeVol said a temporary pool could be brought in and covered with a dome, and several parents seemed to favor that idea.
Forrest noted that the district only supports the programs that it sponsors. The athletic director is “99 percent sure” he has found a pool for high school swim team practices, Forrest said. But she added that “it is not the responsibility of the district to take care of” the age group team, because it is not a district-sponsored program.
“You use our pool, but it is not our program,” she said.
Highlights of Mercury Article
Committee Chairman John M. Dutton ended the 90-minute discussion by vowing to help find a solution, if possible.
“I make a promise to everybody in this room that I will do my damnedest,” Dutton said.
Earlier, school board member Debbie Bissland also said she would “work in any way possible,” to assist the group.
But exact figures haven’t actually been determined, and some parents were infuriated by that. McMurray, of Turner Construction, said the board had not asked him to come up with a cost estimate for keeping the pool open, although he did agree it would add to the expense and timing.
Forrest noted that the district only supports the programs that it sponsors. The athletic director is “99 percent sure” he has found a pool for high school swim team practices, Forrest said. But she added that “it is not the responsibility of the district to take care of” the age group team, because it is not a district-sponsored program.
“You use our pool, but it is not our program,” she said.
Hi Everyone!
Coach Mark & Chris Devol stayed at the B&G meeting after all of us left on Tuesday. Some things happened and we feel everyone should be informed. Here is Coach Mark's take on what happened:
While we were there the following information was discussed:
The board is not getting rid of the aquatic programs.
Age Group will be welcomed back
The only concern of the SB is for the education program and the HS swim team (as evidenced by Dr. Forrest's quotes in the last paragraphs of the Mercury Article)
The pool will be shut down for 1 year
A pool committee member had documentation indicating the pool would be down for 2 seasons.
It was indicated that the pool would be opened in September 09.
The board will consider the cost of phasing
The board will compare cost of the onsite dome and pool.
After the Swimming Parents left the following information was discussed:
Many board members thought the Architects design of the 2nd Auditorium design (the expansion) was included in the existing contract. The Architects informed them it wasn't and the price is $82,000. The board will pay this.
Before going out to bid, Plan-con approval is needed. To get Plan-con approval a new site plan for the expanded auditorium will have to be developed and approved by South Coventry Township. The price to do this will be an additional $90,000.
Coach Mark asked the Construction Manager 3 times if we would be swimming in November of '09. 3 times the answer was NO!.
Coach Mark told the School Board, the Administration and the consultants that they knew this and told all the parents they only needed to find a place for one year.
These facts can be confirmed by Chris DeVol. He heard what Mark heard.
The Construction Manager heard everyone's concerns about how hard it is to find an alternate place to swim, and still did not give you or the board the facts.
The Administration created the documentation that the pool committee member had showing a two-season shut down of the pool, and still they told you "only one year."
I have forwarded an email below that came to me from Dr. Scalise. It contains communication between Jackie Krumrine, OJR Business Manager and Greg MacMurray, Construction Manager. My interpretation is that the Administration knew we were being mislead and allowed it to happen. Read it and interpret for yourself.
This is what we need to fight for in order of desirability:
1. Keep OUR POOL open for the swim season during construction.
2. Construct an On-Site Pool with a Dome and allow ALL Aquatic programs to continue.
3. Put a dome over and existing outdoor pool.
4. Leverage to find us time in suitable pools in suitable locations during suitable times.
PLEASE,, PLEASE COME OUT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING ON MONDAY, 7:30 HIGH SCHOOL LGI. THEY NEED TO ANSWER FOR THIS!
Dannelle Gerhart
The next official OJR Pool Committee Meeting is Monday, January 28, 2008 at 4:30 PM in the Board Room at the OJR Admin Building.
Please contact the Chairman of the OJR Pool Committee, Dr. Frank Scalise at:
fscalise@ojrsd.com for an invitation and details.
Chris DeVol
OJR Pool Committee Member
cell# 610-247-1930
chrisdevol@aol.com
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