Sylvania officials weigh options for school relocation
4/26/2010Sylvania school officials are looking into several alternatives to relocating Central Elementary School to a controversial location on Wolfinger Road, school board president James Nusbaum said Monday night.
“Some things have shaken loose since the forum that would be in everyone's best interest for us to evaluate,” Mr. Nusbaum said after a Sylvania Board of Education meeting. He declined to elaborate, saying that would compromise the district's negotiating position.
The forum he mentioned was a contentious public meeting March 31 during which critics of the Wolfinger site clashed verbally with school officials and site supporters over whether that property, for which the school district holds an $800,000 purchase option, is buildable.
Opponents say the site, besides being remote, will be unduly expensive to prepare for construction because of a high water table and extensive wetlands, assuming the school district can even obtain necessary permits. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency recently asked district officials for more information before considering a permit application.
Mr. Nusbaum said he expected to have more to report about possible alternative sites within a few weeks.