PEMBERVILLE – Eastwood Schools administrators are waiting on an insurance payment to decide how to
replace buildings lost in a January fire.
Superintendent Brent Welker also has asked community members for feedback on adding time to school days
to make up class time lost to calamity days.
The question regarding buildings is "what are we going to build," said Welker
Whether to combine a bus garage and board office, similar to what was destroyed in a Jan. 25 fire, or
build separate facilities will depend on the insurance payout, he said.
The district will be paid replacement costs plus code upgrades.
If the offices are combined, Welker said he’ll make sure there is a fire wall between the departments,
and if required by code, that both buildings have fire suppression systems installed.
Water sprinklers were not required when the original structure was build 22 years ago.
"We need to be 100 percent clear on what insurance will pay," he stated.
He said the district may decide on a Locally Funded Initiative to add an administration office at the new
elementary that is hoped for on the main campus.
Welker said he hopes to have the first resolution for a November bond issue for the new school to be
approved by the school board in May or June.
Insurance will pay for some of the project, but Welker is not sure how much.
The Ohio Schools Facilities Commission will help fund a new elementary, but will not pay for an
administration office, hence the need for a Locally Funded Initiative, which is totally funded by the
district.
Welker did indicate he hopes to have a bus garage replacement be finished by mid-August.
Welker also is asking for community feedback on the idea of extended school days by 30 minutes for three
weeks, March 17 to April 22. Spring break runs April 14-18, and making up days during that break is not
an option.
Eastwood has lost 15 days of school because of inclement weather. The state allows five days, the
district went to school of Presidents’ Day, and has had three "blizzard bag" days. If the
state forgives four more days, that leaves Eastwood having to make up two days.
"Right now we are looking at an option that would start school 10 minutes earlier and release 20
minutes later," Welker wrote in a community email. "If we did this for 22 days, we could make
up the two that we are currently short on."
By doing the time in March and April, teachers will be able to try and get through some of the content
lost through all of the calamity days, and do so before students take the Ohio Achievement Assessments.
This is the first year where students in third grade must meet a benchmark in reading or be retained,
Welker explained. "These are high stakes for everybody."