Wednesday, January 06, 1999
Boone Co. looks for school site
BY ANDREA TORTORA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FLORENCE — So many students are entering elementary school in the Boone County district that a new building is needed every two years.
That means the Boone County Board of Education has 19 months to construct, staff and open a new elementary school by August 2000.
Now the task is choosing the right location.
“We're looking to build, but we need to pick a spot where the growth is,” Superintendent Bryan Blavatt said at the board's Tuesday meeting. “The reality is that none of the areas are not growing.”
The cause is an ever-multiplying number of new homes and subdivisions.
Kevin Costello, the county's planning and zoning director, said there are 45 subdivisions under construction in the county. In 1998, there were 1,121 new single-family homes built, setting a record.
There were 303 students added to the schools this year. Add that to the 450 new students from the year before, and the new Erpenbeck Elementary that opened in the fall is already at capacity.
The board is considering two sites for a new elementary school. One is on 14 acres off Ky. 237 near North Bend Road in Hebron. Arlinghaus developers own the land and are willing to donate the property. If that site is chosen, a building similar to Erpenbeck Elementary would be built. Bypassing land costs and using existing designs would save the county $700,000.
The catch: Use of the property is tied to approval of a zoning change to allow development of an adjacent subdivision with 1,275 homes.
Option two is 20 acres for sale between Camp Ernst Road and Rogers Lane near Burlington. The design of Er penbeck Elementary would be used here, too. Obstacles include the $750,000 cost of the land.
But the growth won't remain at the elementary level, and the population is increasing in all parts of the county. Months away from making any decisions, the board is also looking at these options:
• Using Florence Elementary School as a new board office and building a new school on property there.
• Building a middle school behind Stephens Elementary School. The new board office is also being considered for property here.
• Adding 10 or 12 classrooms to Gray Middle School in Union.
• Adding six classrooms to R.A. Jones Middle School in Florence.
• Renovating the Ockerman campus.
• Adding four classrooms at Conner High School.
• Enlarging the administrative offices and library at Boone County High School.
• Adding dining and gym space at Burlington Elementary.
• Adding a new cafeteria to New Haven Elementary and using the old lunchroom space for classrooms.
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