By CARL E. FEATHER - Staff Writer - cfeather@starbeacon.com
ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP — The Buckeye Local Board of Education will wait at least another month before making a decision on hiring an architect to develop a master plan for the district’s building needs.
Board members revisited the topic Tuesday night following tours they took of Lakeside Junior High School and Jefferson Area Junior High School since the November meeting. At the November meeting, board member Jacqueline Hillyer expressed disappointment in not being able to be a part of the committee’s investigation into the work of the two architects under consideration. The board agreed to tour the two buildings as a group to gain better insight into what each architect could offer.
The board devoted a portion of its meeting Tuesday evening to listing the perceived positives and negatives of each building toured. At the end of the discussion, it was clear the visits had raised more questions than answers.
“All of us have questions we’d like to bring forward at this point,” Hillyer said. She felt it unfair to have board members look at the architects’ work but not have access to them to pose questions.
“I do have questions,” said Mark Estock, one of two board members on the review committee. “I have some serious questions, and I need to ask them.”
Specifically, Estock said he’s concerned about how willing the candidates will be to show versatility and flexibility when designing schools that would be unique to Buckeye. He’s also concerned about some “cookie-cutter” design approaches that emerged during their school visitations.
Estock thus suggested board members present in writing to the committee any questions they have for the two firms. Then he will work with Treasurer Sherry Wentworth to pose those questions to the architects, with a two-week time frame for responses. The board approved that course of action, with the deadline for presenting their questions at the end of this week.
Estock, Board President Norah Anderson, Superintendent Nancy Williams and Director of Operations Richard Kreisher constitute the committee, which is charged with the task of reviewing and interviewing architects. The committee began its work last spring, narrowing down the field to three architects for interviews, from which two were selected for final consideration. Visitation of projects completed by the candidates were then made by the committee.
Extending the committee’s work into the new year presents a problem as Anderson is leaving the board at the end of the year. The board agreed to keep her on as a committee member, but board member Mary Wisnyai said she felt there should be another board member on the committee, as well. Hillyer will fill that role.
The committee will meet before the Jan. 19, 2010, meeting to review the responses and decide whether there is an architect it can recommend to the board at that meeting.
“I believe we are not ready for the board to make a decision,” Estock said Tuesday night in moving to delay the action.
