ROCSD discusses facility meeting

 The Red Oak School Board received positive news regarding the public’s reaction to the first facilities planning meeting last week. 

Alley Poyner Macchietto architect Daric O’Neal met with the board to provide a wrap-up on the turnout and information gathered from the meeting. 

Attendees to last Wednesday’s meeting were given comment cards with specific facility improvement projects to rank by importance. 

Of the 78 cards received, the top six categories were: Learning spaces, student engagement, information technology, facility lighting, performing arts and community partnerships. 

O’Neal said many who filled out the cards indicated an interest in assisting the board with facility improvement plans. 

“We have around 38 people willing to be on a community-led steering committee. Out of the 78 cards, there were only three people who weren’t interested in either the steering committee or a focus group,” O’Neal said. “Also, I’ve had people who were unable to attend the meeting who said they were interested in taking part as well.”

O’Neal said officials will continue to study the data and match the people commenting on the comment cards to particular focus groups of interest. 

He wants to get a calendar of open houses of the district’s existing buildings before the next meeting scheduled for Wednesday, March 30, at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds White building. 

O’Neal also updated the board on proposed projects for a new boiler at the high school and for replacement field lighting at the district’s baseball and football fields. 

Bids will be sought for the boiler project in April. 

The news regarding new lighting was less encouraging. 

“We’ve talked to all the potential project bidders, and I’m going to be 100-percent honest here,” O’Neal said. “It’s highly unlikely that any of this will be done before baseball season. We’re behind schedule of where other schools are in line with these lighting companies.” 

The project would more likely be completed at the beginning of football season, he said. To work around that issue, the system may try tohold home games during the day or make repairs to the school’s existing lighting to keep it running until the new lighting is installed. 

School board members agreed to allow O’Neal to seek the cost of repairs for the existing lights, but said their preference — unless repairs are very reasonable — would be to schedule the games during the day.