Steering committee established to investigate need for facility improvements

A steering committee will be formed to study the issue of a bond proposal to possibly improve the facilities of the Rogers City Area Schools. The board of education unanimously approved the establishment of the committee to explore the idea, investigate the community?s desires, and report back to the board before the end of the year. The issue was discussed by the properties and facilities planning committee June 27. Committee members talked about the concept of a bond proposal to improve the school facilities and address many areas previously discussed at past board and committee meetings. The committee believes it is time to move forward on the topic and determine if there is community support for the concept, so they decided to bring the recommendation to the board. ?Rather than waiting five or six years, it is time we started talking, so we can start thinking about plans, rather than waiting for the days when we have to do something,? said committee member Scott McLennan.

?WE TALKED about what the needs going to be. There is a chance of a power plant coming; that is great, and maybe that would add some students. There also is the reality that we are projecting declining enrollment over the next few years.? He said the Grambau Center has served the district for many, many years, but the age of the building is such that the board is going to have to decide if they want to put more money into it. The elementary building is beyond the time that other school districts in the state are replacing their buildings, said McLennan, and the newest building in the school system is more than 40 years old. ?We (the committee) feel that we should go to the community, reach out to the community, and listen to the community, and follow the community in what we should be doing in the future, as it relates to our school and to the community as a whole,? said McLennan. Over the last several years, there has been much discussion about possibly bringing together two local projects: a possible building expansion tied into construction of a community center with a walking track and an area to host commercial events. Conceptual sketches were presented at Monday?s school board meeting, which McLennan called a ?starting point,? that he hopes will get the community talking.

THE DRAWINGS include a building addition on the west side of the high school, additional parking along the east side of the student parking lot, and the relocating of the football game field to the campus. The service road between Erie and Huron Avenues would be eliminated if the plan went forward. McLennan emphasized several times that the drawings were a rough draft put together by maintenance coordinator Pat Lamb and the architect. As part of the motion approved by the board, McLennan and Tim Horn, who was sworn into office earlier in th

e evening, were appointed to serve as board liaisons to the steering committee. The liaisons will facilitate community meetings. ?A steering committee would be responsible for polling the community, researching possibilities, and bringing together folks with ideas and visions about what could be done in the schools system to enhance the living in Rogers City and the attending of Rogers City schools,? he said. ?We talked that this is a small community and that community support is very important. If it can bring together seniors, children, along with middle-aged folks, then that is something that we would like to do.?

Although the timeline is the end of the year, the committee could report its findings sooner. Any idea, or member of the community interested in serving on the committee, should contact the central office or committee liaison McLennan.