[speedgibson] Speed Gibson: Guided Tours

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Posted by Speed Gibson:
Guided Tours
http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1198285002.shtml


   To date I have toured three Elementary schools in District 281. I met
   with two of the principals.
   I toured [1]Forest Elementaary in Crystal to see if it truly was a Taj
   Mahal as some had speculated. It was not. In fact, I liked what I saw,
   a very functional design. It's not the largest (76,900 sq.ft.), it
   doesn't have the largest capacity (576), and it doesn't have the
   highest enrollment. It doesn't even have the most square feet per
   student of the ten Elementary schools. Inside, it's not at all
   opulent, simply full-equipped. As a taxpayer, I'm very pleased.
   I toured the other two to see what sort of maintenance was required.
   [2]Northport Elementary was built in 1956, with a major expansion in
   1984. It has 65,300 sq. ft. and a capacity of 744 students. It is
   showing its age, with noticeable cracks in its interior brick walls
   from the small but inevitable shifts in the foundation. It also uses
   an older design with lower ceilings and exposed, oversize I-beams that
   make adding air ducts a major effort.
   [3]Pilgrim Lane Elementary was built in 1966. It has 58,200 sq. ft.
   and a capacity of 552 students. It is in better shape than Northport,
   no question, but presents the same sorts of airflow challenges as
   Northport and many other schools in the District. I also felt its
   gymnasium was undersized.
   I have more homework to do, but much of the upgrades facing these two
   schools and some others is air quality. Forest was rebuilt for this
   reason I'm told, that repairs and upgrades while cheaper still left us
   with a 50 year old building with traditionally higher operating costs.
   Again, I have more work to do, but for now I'm wondering why all this
   focus on air quality. Room ventilators and steam heat aren't state of
   the art, but the concepts are workable for some time. Perhaps some
   fans and heat exchangers are needed for the hallways, though.
   The original 2008-09 budget calls for $1.4 million in such capital
   projects for Piligrim Lane. Northport is scheduled for $50,000 worth
   of evaluation only, but for the reasons given, the actual upgrades
   will require several million dollars. This is one reason why Northport
   was the early favorite to close, to avoid a major investment in an
   older building.
   Now that Sonnesyn Elementary in New Hope is also a candidate for
   closing, I will be touring it shortly after school resumes next year.
   I will visit all of District 281's facilities in fact, because I think
   this is an important point going forward. If 281 is to turn itself
   around, it can't do it with an aging fleet of 35 to 50+ year old
   buildings.

References

   1. http://www.rdale.k12.mn.us/foe/
   2. http://www.rdale.k12.mn.us/npe/
   3. http://www.rdale.k12.mn.us/ple/