More Red Oak tours

 The Red Oak School District held its first tours of the district’s buildings last week. 

Tours of the middle school and high school were held on March 2 and March 3. Administrators, as well as Architect Daric O’Neal of Alley Poynter Machiettto, were on hand to answer questions involving the facilities and their needs. 

O’Neal said when examining the middle school building, certain layout problems are apparent that become more prominent with advancing technology. 

“The classrooms are dramatically smaller once you get off the first floor. With the one-to-one laptop program where students are using laptops for their daily learning, you run into issues with the classroom sizes and setting one-to-one programs up,” O’Neal said. 

In addition, the biggest change to the building took place in 2000 with the installation of a new elevator, lockers and lighting.

“It really hasn’t had anything big done to it," O'Neal said. "It’s just been maintained. Every one of the classrooms still have window air conditioning, which don’t pull in the fresh air as well.” 

O’Neal made it clear that the future of the building is up to the community. 

“I will make sure I give as accurate of information as possible so the community can see what it will take to totally improve the building,” O’Neal said.

While the high school appeared to be in better condition, O’Neal said looks can be deceiving. 

“Once you start getting above ceilings and behind walls, costs go up. When you open it up, you need to do everything so you can close it up and not worry about it for 30 years. Neither building has sprinkler systems. They’d need updated fire alarm systems; the heating and cooling is antiquated everywhere. Appearance-wise, the high school is in better condition, but it’s also 50 years newer.”

Food service director Sharon Foote showed visitors around the middle school kitchen. Foote said steps from the kitchen to the serving area make serving cumbersome. 

“You’re lifting a lot and carrying hot heavy food in pans, and by the time they are full, it’s a load carrying them up to the hot warmer and making sure you don’t step the wrong way,” Foote said. 

The kitchen space was also cramped. 

Karen Blue, who worked for the district until 1970, said she was surprised at how little had changed.

Dawn Lerette, who toured both the middle and high school, said after seeing the middle school, she is convinced it is in need of renovations. 

“It could use some work, definitely. There’s some definite obstacles and challenges over there, because of the jigsaw puzzle pieces of that structure,” Lerette said. 

“I taught home ec, and that room hasn’t changed at all really. There are new appliances, but other than that, it’s exactly the same,” said Blue. 

The goal of all the tours, according to O’Neal, is for people to get an opportunity to see the school in its current state, and view what has changed and what hasn't.

Community members weighed in on Red Oak’s high school facility during their tour of the building Thursday. Larry Kazmerzak said he was pleased to get a first-hand look. 

“I think to open it up and let the public look and see and make some decisions on their own is a good thing,” said Kazmerzak. 

Kazmerzak said that when it comes to student learning, the school didn’t play a huge factor. 

“The building isn’t what makes children. It’s nothing more than a space occupied by the kids who are going to learn. The teachers and community make a difference. The progressiveness of the school makes a difference.” 

Kazmerzak said he did have concerns about the middle school building, however. 

“I think it’s a crying shame. That’s a beautiful building, and we’ve let a lot of the infrastructure go to pot. Can it be saved? I don’t know.”

Another visitor to both the facilities was resident Mark Dahl. He said the high school was in better shape. 

“I think there’s a number of maintenance issues that could be addressed. The custodial staff do a great job of keeping it clean, but there are those maintenance issues,” Dahl commented. 

Further facility tours are scheduled this week from 5-7 p.m. March 9 at Inman Primary and March 16 at Washington Intermediate.