On May 7, the Arcola School Community Council (SCC) held a public information meeting to address the matter of repairing or replacing the school gymnasium.
Through discussion prior to the public meeting the SCC came to the conclusion that the school gymnasium was either in need of major renovations or a new facility. Knowing that this decision was larger than their committee of eight, they decided to hold a community meeting.
It was attended by approximately 50 individuals with invested interests in the well being of the school facilities including teachers, community minded individuals, and parents. This group of community members voted, unanimously, for the process to begin towards a new gymnasium, which started with the formation of a Feasibility Committee. If interested in becoming a part of this committee contact Principal Kevin Hengen or Teresa Johnston, SCC Chairperson.
Also in attendance to help answer questions and provide information were Harold Laich, the school board member of subdivision two, and Velda Weatherald, Â鶹ÊÓƵeast Cornerstone Superintendent of Schools (east).
Overall concerns regarding the gymnasium were brought forth by the principal, Kevin Hengen, and vice-principal, Eugene Brown, along with comments from those in the crowd. With everyone's interest to follow the path of a new facility, Laich, fielded questions about what the school board would think of the project and if funds would be available for it.
"The school board will support your request if it is logical and I see it as logical, so I think they would support this initiative, but I can't make promises," Laich explained. "You would need to send a delegation to the board to seek approval and the board would proceed from there."
Laich also stated that the money to fund a new facility was not in the budget, but they may be able to help with a portion of the flooring or some smaller amount. Since, everything is in the preliminary stages Laich was unable to comment on certainties, but is in support of the project and hopes the community is able to achieve its goal.
One of the ideas Laich brought forth concerned planned evaluations of all 38 facilities in the school division, which are scheduled in the next few months. Ameresco Canada will be conducting assessments, which will include the Arcola School gymnasium, regarding the longevity of all buildings within the school district.
If Ameresco's findings support the claims of those in Arcola it will make their presentation to the school board, and for the school board to later present to the government, more substantial.
One of the largest concerns voiced during the meeting included the question of where the new facility would go and if the school and community would be without a gym while the new one was being built.
Though this is a possibility, school officials are hoping to build the new facility, which would be larger, to the north of the current gym; this is pending approval as they are in the initial stages of forming a presentation to the board.
If this were the case then suggestions of a hallway to connect the prospective new facility with the school may even include a kitchen/cafeteria area for the students.
Though concerns were voiced, everyone remained in favour of a new gym and a Feasibility Committee was formed. Seven volunteers have agreed to work together to see if raising between $1.6 million and $2 million would be possible, as preliminary projected costs put the new facility at $1.6 million.
Already quite sure they will be able to find a way to succeed, the Feasibility Committee is quite hopeful. Looking to Oxbow and Carnduff as examples of success stories with their recent gymnasium projects completed, while locally the community of Arcola was able to raise funds to build a new skating rink and curling rink project in 2002 after their previous rink was consumed by fire in September 2001.
Reasons why the community has decided to move forward with a Feasibility Committee are vast. The gym was first built in the early 1970s, with the equipment room added in the 1980s. The tile floor was redone in the late 1990s and cosmetic repairs have been done throughout the years as needed.
The issues with the gym have moved past cosmetic repairs, however, with more serious concerns developing. This includes the change rooms that are in disrepair; the gym floor which has buckled and is noticeably lifted in areas; the cement foundation is suspected of being in disrepair as poles used for volleyball and badminton come out of the ground wet which is causing them to rust; a 20 year leak between the added storage room and the gymnasium leading to a possibility of mold; a four year leak between the hallway entrance to the gym and the facility; a raw sewage odour that emanates from the washrooms; lighting problems as lights when turned on may flicker off intermittently; a ceiling that has insulation that drops to the floor whenever struck by a stray ball; concerns regarding the exterior foundation with rebar showing and rusting, which may be causing issues further into the foundation.
Overall the repairs needed began adding up, with the flooring estimated to be approximately $100,000. Each repair will be costly on its own, which is why the decision to build a new facility that will last for years to come will be worth the cost. Repairing each concern could come with more issues as well, which could become even more costly in the end.
In addition to the fixes that are needed it has been realized the gymnasium is a community facility with recreational sports held almost every night, zumba classes, school sports, physical education classes for the students, 4-H public speaking venue, and much more. The Feasibility Committee, thusly, formed because they believe the best thing for the community is for a new gym at the school.
