No final decision has been made about the fate of the Winchester Grade School gym, as school officials attempt to gather information about the possible construction of a new gym.
Superintendent Jeff Abell says the school district has in hand a second layer of evaluation report from the state board of education that has led to a recommendation of condemnation by the regional school superintendent’s office.
But, Abell says the final decision lies with the school board at Winchester. He says it does appear it would be more expensive to do a surgical demolition and remodel of the current gym.
Abell says finances will drive whatever comes next. He says the board has approved in a special session money for safety mitigation funds to keep the cafeteria and kitchen open.
Abell says the project the school district was working on when the gym problems unfolded is a multi purpose building. He says that will need to be up and going by the time it gets cold again next fall and winter.
It’s not certain where the building will be constructed. Abell would like to see that done this summer.
He says there is money in the fire safety funds…$300-thousand. That money could be applied to safety mitigation. The school district has only about $1 and a half million left in its health, life, safety cap.
Abell says the next step is to get a handle on what comes next.
He says the multi purpose building must be built this summer, and the board is trying to decide where the building will go. It is designed to provide a place for recess for grade school students, though there will be other uses.
He says the multi purpose building can’t wait for the next gym.
A maintenance worker at the Winchester Grade School gym reported January 15th to Abel that he though he noticed the roof sagging a bit. The school district moved the Winchester Tournament to Bluffs, and have not used the building since.