GAMBIER — Mount Vernon City Schools Superintendent Bill Seder presented the findings of the district’s facility advisory committee at this week’s Gambier Village Council meeting.
The advisor committee, composed of parents, teachers, school administration, business, and community leaders, aimed to pinpoint the district’s needs for the foreseeable future.
The group was organized to address the district’s aging infrastructure, with Wiggin Street and East Elementary being more than 100 years old.
The 30 to 50 members, working alongside the education architect firm Fanning Howey, came to the conclusion that several buildings either need to be updated and new educational institutions need to be built.
The committee also agreed that the district should work with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, which would pay 36% of construction costs.
Part of OFCC’s agreement is districts need to make improvements to existing buildings – that includes the middle and high schools.
How would development be funded?
OFFC Master Plan funding
- Local share $90 million 4.83 mills $14.10 per month cost per month per $100,000 home.
- Local share $95 million 5.10 mills $14.89 per month.
- $100 million 5.37 mills $15.67 per month.
- Basic Financial Funding Assumptions: These all assume a 37-year bond issue at 5%
This left the committee with a couple of options: renovate the middle and high school buildings and construct a K-5 elementary school, or have three elementary schools with a limited capacity, which would cost roughly $10 million more.
Ninety-five percent of committee members chose this option, voicing their desire to have three elementary schools rather than one large K-5 building. There are roughly 1,600 elementary students currently enrolled in the district, Seder said.
Those interested in the district’s plan can attend a community listening session Wednesday, April 16 at 7 p.m. at the high school auditorium.
The OFCC wants 10 acres of land for every new building with one additional acre per 100 students, Seder said. The district is looking for around 14 to 15 acres for the three proposed elementary buildings.
“It’s not simple to find 14 to 15 acres,” Seder said.
A segmented plan
Another option Seder said OFCC offers is the segmented master plan, meaning not all parts of the proposal need to be done at once.
For example, the district would renovate the middle and high school buildings before approaching the elementary schools.
Positives & Challenges
- Positives: Neighborhood schools and historic charm; well-maintained for the ages of the buildings; decent-sized general education classrooms; spacious playgrounds and green spaces at most elementaries.
- Challenges: school safety; secure entrance; five of six elementaries have congested drop-off; no kitchens available at three of the elementaries; no central air in most buildings.
Before coming to its recommendation, the committee toured every elementary school, noting its positive and negatives traits.
For Gambier, Wiggin Street Elementary is 121 years old – the oldest school in Mount Vernon.
The district is looking to transition toward a more creative approach to education, focusing on seminars, hands-on learning, and project-based experiences rather than traditional classroom setups.
Key drivers for change include outdated building conditions, evolving teaching methods, an increasing need for special services and interventions, improving operational efficiency, and addressing safety concerns.
However, there are several obstacles to overcome, such as gaining community support, managing financial limitations, uncertainty around future enrollment, maintaining a strong sense of community, and the challenges of re-districting.