The facilities task force for Bowling Green City Schools is done meeting, with no clear recommendations.

“At this time, we are not scheduling another meeting,” said Tim Hamilton, with Fanning Howey. “We’re
going to tabulate all of this information and show this to the board in whatever format David (Conley)
wants us to show it.”
Conley, with Rockmill Financial Consulting, leads the financial task force, which meets again March 12.

The facilities task force met Tuesday at Bowling Green High School to discuss the final four options for
facilities. Leaders with Fanning Howey polled the 40 people in attendance by pitting one of four options
against another to determine which ones are favored.
The purpose of the outcome was to show not which plan was favored, but which was favored when compared to
another.
The committee was reminded of its four top options, which were decided last month. Members were told the
cost of demolition, hazardous material abatement and swing space were added to the cost. Those four
options:
1. A new consolidated elementary for PK-5 on the Poe Road campus with an estimated cost for 2019 will be
$39.588 million. The cost includes the abatement and demolition of Kenwood and Conneaut.
2. Renovate all three elementaries with an estimated cost for 2019 will be $32.261 million. The cost
includes temporary classrooms for two years at Conneaut and Kenwood, as well as the abatement at both
schools.
3. Build a new Kenwood and a new Conneaut on the current sites, and renovate and add on to Crim. For an
estimate of $37.684 million in 2019, the plan includes the cost of abatement and demolition of Kenwood
and Conneaut.
4. Build one new pre-kindergarten-fifth grade school on Poe Road and renovate and add on to Crim for
grades PK-5 at an estimated 2019 cost of $34.238 million.The cost includes the abatement and demolition
of Kenwood and Conneaut.
The approximately 40 people attending Tuesday’s meeting were asked to vote — not on their personal
feelings, but on what they thought the community would support.
“You know your community. You see more than your basic community member may have at this time,” Hamilton
said.
There were six comparisons done for the four options.
• A new consolidated elementary (38 percent) vs. renovate all three elementaries (62 percent)
• A new consolidated elementary (39 percent) vs. build a new Kenwood and Conneaut, renovate Crim (61
percent)
• A new consolidated elementary (27 percent) vs. build one new PK-5 school and renovate Crim (73 percent)

• Renovate all three elementaries (43 percent) vs. build a new Kenwood and Conneaut, renovate Crim (57
percent)
• Renovate all three elementaries (46 percent) vs. build one new PK-5 school and renovate Crim (54
percent)
• Build a new Kenwood and Conneaut, renovate Crim (60 percent) vs. build one new PK-5 school and renovate
Crim (40 percent)
A quick look at the numbers shows one consolidated school losing in its three comparisons, and a new
Kenwood and Conneaut and renovate Crim winning in its three comparisons.
Looking back to January when the group was asked to vote on its favorite option, one consolidated
elementary had 35 percent and a new Conneaut and new Kenwood and renovated Crim garnered 29 percent.
“Why did you ask us to vote for the entire community?” Melissa Shaffer asked.
She said she felt uncomfortable trying to think about how the whole community would vote versus just
herself.
Fewer than a dozen people raised their hand when asked if they changed their vote from their personal
preference.
What a committee member may want is brand new everything, Hamilton said. But the community may not want
that.
As a member of the community, “you reflect the community plus you need to give us a feel of where you
think things would go,” Hamilton said.
“Why are we looking at one consolidation when the administration has said no?” asked Bud Henschen,
“We’re just being true to our process,” said Steve Wilczynski, with Fanning Howey. “We’re showing what
we’re talking about and not thinking any one way.”
Frances Brent protested Henschen’s interpretation of Superintendent Francis Scruci’s non-support of one
elementary.
The earlier plan went down because of cost, not of the concept, she said.
“That is not off the table,” Brent said.
Ken Reiman said it is misleading to assign pre-kindergarten at each building. He said he was told at the
beginning all preschool students would be at Crim, even with one new school.
Hamilton said they wanted to accommodate pre-kindergarten-5 in a lot of different plans.
If that is working at Crim, a little bit of money will move toward Crim and away from the other
buildings, Hamilton said.
He applauded those who have sat through the seven meetings held by the task force.
“You’ve come a long way,” Hamilton said. “You’re a lot more tolerant, you’re a lot more realistic, you’re
a lot more in tune with things in school education you have to look at.”
While the community is not ready to act on the high school, task force members were asked their opinion
on possible work.
Fourteen percent favored a new high school, 27 percent supported renovations, and 59 percent supported
renovations, partial demolition and new additions.