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To save the trees, school will move
By ABBIE VANSICKLE CLEARWATER -- Perhaps it's not surprising that Oak Grove Middle School is known for several large oak trees dotting the school's property. But these trees are adding a twist to the construction of a new school building. Because of the oaks, there is not enough space to build a new middle school on another part of the property, which would allow classes to continue as normal in the existing structure until the facility is complete. So, school officials are going to Plan B. Next fall, the more than 1,300 Oak Grove students will attend classes about a mile away at the Druid Complex, located at the corner of Druid Street and Hercules Ave., behind Clearwater High School. Students will attend classes in portable units that will be set up in the complex's parking lot. School officials plan to use brick buildings in the complex to house administrative offices as well as band and choir facilities and a cafeteria, said Oak Grove principal Patricia Bell. Bell said she's heard mixed reaction from parents and staff about the move, but is confident the end result will be worth the temporary inconvenience. "It's a double-edged sword," she said. "It's just like getting a new home. You know, sometimes you have to wait a while, but the end result is worth it." Demolition of the existing structure is slated to begin in June 2003 and the entire project is expected to take up to 18 months and cost about $18-million, said Tony Rivas, director of facilities for Pinellas County Schools. Rivas said Oak Grove, built in the late 1950s, has an outdated air conditioning system that no longer meets building codes, lacks the wiring and electrical system necessary to expose students to the latest technology and is too small for the swelling number of students. The school is "tired and old," he said. "It wasn't designed with everything a school needs now." He said moving the school to the complex is not an ideal situation, but it's the best solution that school officials could find. "When you're trying to keep a school operational, you've got to do what you can," he said. "Unfortunately, this school didn't have enough room to build behind it because of the oak trees." Mary Janca, president of Oak Grove's Parent Teacher Student Association, said many parents are excited about the new building but are concerned for the safety of their children at the temporary facility. Janca said she's gotten several calls from parents who are worried about their middle schoolers attending classes so near to the high school. She said school officials have promised security at the complex will be tight. "A lot of parents feel there's a big safety issue when you start mixing middle schoolers and high schoolers," Janca said. Bell said although not all of the details have been worked out, the school will be safe for students, and administrators will do their best to make sure all goes smoothly. Clearwater High School and Oak Grove have different starting and ending times for the school day, so students will not be in contact with each other, she said. Also, middle schoolers will wear photo cards to school as a security precaution. "I think sometimes it's a fear of the unknown," Bell said. "But I've spoken with other principals who have gone through this kind of thing and they've never had any problems." -- Abbie VanSickle can be reached at (727) 445-4224 or at vansickle@sptimes.com .
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From the Times North Pinellas desks |
