Winchester School District residents will have a ballot question to answer in April for subsequent rounds of improvement at the century-old high school building.
The Journal Courier reports that the Winchester School Board has approved about $7 million in renovations to replace the building’s HVAC system and abate asbestos throughout the building.
The district will be able to replace the old boiler system with a new geothermal system, as well as meet newer ventilation requirements. In addition to the HVAC system, work will be done on the cafeteria and family and consumer sciences room. The ceiling and floor tiles throughout the building will also be replaced as many contain asbestos.
This first phase of renovations will begin after this school year ends.
The second phase of renovations that is expected to take place following the 2025-26 school year would primarily be to make the building ADA-compliant, whether through an elevator, a lift, or a combination of the two. It would also address its bathrooms. The specifics of that project is still being determined, but is expected to cost around $5 million.
While the plan is to move forward with these projects, the community must vote on a referendum to support the nearly $12 million in costs associated with the renovations. The referendum is asking to approve the use of property taxes to pay for bonds to support the renovation.
The school board is also exploring the usage of Health-Life-Safety funds to pay for the projects, but approval of a bond, according to school officials, would make the pathway to pay for the projects easier.