Genoa board releases plan for schools, sporting fields
6/12/2003The Genoa Area Board of Education's master site plan calls for the district to build a new elementary school, football field, and high school extension - all on its current campus.
The plan includes the middle school completed in 2001 and administrative offices finished last year.
“We purchased 60 acres two years ago with the idea of all the schools on one site,” said Dennis Mock, Genoa superintendent.
“This is our initial site plan and I think the public is real happy with what we are doing.”
The district hopes to eventually close Allen Elementary and Brunner Elementary. They would be replaced with a 750-student building at the district's campus on Genoa-Clay Center Road, just north of Genoa.
Mr. Mock said district residents would not object to centralizing the school buildings at one location.
Voters in the Otsego Local Schools district rejected a levy that would have - among other things - paid to replace all three of its elementary schools and build new buildings at a central site.
“We are just 49 square miles,” Mr. Mock said. “Some of the area school districts are too big to centralize. For us, putting all the schools at one site would be advantageous.”
He said the school board does not plan to board up the buildings.
Leslie Wyse, school board president, said the master plan should be well-accepted by the public.
“It does seem feasible. Our big challenge will be explaining it to the public,” Mr. Wyse said.
“I would assume that we are going to look for a buyer for the two elementary schools,” he said.
The new $5.96 million middle school and a new bus garage were financed partly by a 2.16-mill levy passed in May, 1999. Generating about $7 million, it also paid for a cafeteria at Brunner Elementary.
Mr. Mock said the proposed elementary school, a 60,000-square-foot addition to Genoa High School, the football field, and a soccer field, estimated to cost $42.6 million could be paid for by 5 to 7 mills in local taxes and matching funds from the state.