75 attend forum on Central Elementary School

April 18, 2002

Thursday, April 18, 2002

By ANDREW LERSTEN / H-P South Haven Bureau

SOUTH HAVEN -- The community group studying South Haven Schools facilities

will use information gathered at Tuesday night's public forum to decide what

to do with Central Elementary School.

About 75 people attended the forum at the school. Tours of the school were

given, and Dennis Bekken of the Grand Rapids firm DesignWorks AE made a

lengthy presentation on the findings of his company's recent inspection of

the school site. There were also a public question-and-answer period and

small group discussions, and a survey of opinions was also taken.

Advisory committee co-chairman Pat Fitton said the committee will discuss

results of the surveys and small group discussions at its next meeting April

25.

" It was a good turnout, and there was a good mix of opinions, " Fitton said.

The school houses about 375 students in grades four and five. It has been

plagued with problems in recent years, including steam leaks that forced the

school to close temporarily when mold erupted.

The advisory committee hired DesignWorks AE to inspect the Central School

site in February for $2,800.

The company recommends that both the 1913 section of the school and the 1926

section, as well as the separate Vocational Building on the site, not be

renovated for continued educational use.

Problems with the site and school include severe topography and underground

water problems and infiltration of water into the building; inadequate

classroom sizes; fire code and handicapped-accessible code problems;

plumbing and electrical problems; worn-out roofs; and inadequate restrooms.

" If I lived in this district, I wouldn't want to send my kid here, " Bekken

said.

However, Bekken stressed that for about $11.5 million, the district could

demolish all but the 1926 section of the school and build a new addition to

help bring the school up to modern educational standards. The district could

probably build a new school for roughly the same cost, not including the

cost of an auditorium, Bekken said.

The advisory committee plans to report back to the school board this fall

with recommendations.

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