The Marietta City Schools Board of Education on Monday approved applying for $3.6 million in bonds that could be used for school renovation this school year, if a bond issue is passed in November.
The resolution allows the district's administration to apply to the Ohio School Facilities Commission for the bonds, which would be available before the majority of money would be for a school construction project.
The board has a bond issue on the Nov. 3 ballot that would fund the $48 million local share of a $78 million school construction project, to be overseen by the OSFC. If voters pass the issue, a new high school and kindergarten-through-fourth-grade building will be constructed, and the current high school would be renovated into a fifth-through-eighth-grade building.
Monday's resolution would mean certain parts of the project could happen more quickly, said Superintendent Herb Young.
"We could use the bond issue money to do work ahead of time," he said. "These are more zero-interest bonds that would put in the HVAC in the auditorium, gym and all the high school classrooms, and we could put the roof on the high school or the auditorium/gym."
The plans call for solar panels - to be provided for free for the project - to be put in to reduce energy costs.
Young said the work could start over the district's winter break if the bond application is approved.
If the bond passes in the election, the bulk of the project would not begin until sometime in the spring.
Also at Monday's meeting:
The board heard from a parent concerned about an overcrowded bus transporting students from Harmar Hill to Marietta Middle School and Marietta High School.
"There's only one bus picking up the entire hill... they're sitting three or four kids to a seat," said Denise Cavitt, who lives on Sharon Street and has a daughter in sixth grade at the middle school. "I've seen a couple kids sitting on the lap of another child because there's no room. My concern is the safety of all the kids on that bus."
Board member Greg Gault said he has been approached about a similar situation with a bus bringing students from Devola to the middle school.
The problem has been brought to Young and a solution is being worked on, said Board President Jack Moberg.
The board approved the retirement of district treasurer David Combs, effective Jan. 1.
Combs has worked for the district for seven years and before that served as the treasurer for the Frontier Local, Belpre City and Fort Frye Local districts.
In his letter of resignation, Combs said his job gave him "great anguish" when the district's financial situation brought about staff and program reductions but that he will miss being a part of the educational process.
"Even though I had no direct contact with the education of students, I was always anxious to see the annual (state) report card," he says in the letter. "As our scores continued to rise these past few years, I took great pride in the fact that I was a small part of the effort."
The board members said they will all be sorry to see him go.
"As a new board member, he was probably more willing than anyone to sit down and explain things to me," said Gault.
