OAK RIDGE WILL ASK VOTERS FOR NEW HIGH SCHOOL

OAK RIDGE -- Voters in Oak Ridge School District will be asked to approve construction of a new high school.

The proposed 12,000-square-foot building can be built without a tax increase.

Taxpayers in the school district are paying 60 cents per $100 assessed valuation to pay off a 1984 school addition. The 1984 issue will be paid off in 1997.

If voters say yes on April 4, the 60-cent tax would be continued for another 13 years to pay off the new high-school building.

Superintendent Roger Tatum said the projected cost of the building and renovations is $800,000. Voters will consider bonds for $710,000. The difference would be paid from the school district's savings account.

The proposed building would house classrooms for language arts, mathematics and business, a home-economics laboratory, a computer lab, a science lab, and two science lecture rooms.

The building would be placed west of the present cafeteria and gymnasium.

Renovations are planned to the existing buildings. The home-economics room would be converted to an art room.

The art and science rooms would be converted to a library for grades kindergarten through 12.

If construction bids come in at the expected cost, Tatum said the carpeted gym floor would be replaced with a new, wood floor.

The initial phase of the building design has been completed by the district's architect, John Dudley.

Oak Ridge School District voters are invited to see the design and learn more about the plans at a public forum March 28 at 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria.

The Booster Club, the Parent Teacher Organization and the Community Teachers Association paid for printing and postage of a brochure.

About 1 1/2 years ago, a committee began looking at Oak Ridge facilities. The committee recommended building a new high school and renovating other parts of the school campus. The school board set a timeline to meet those goals, Tatum explained.

At one point during the discussion, Tatum said, the school district considered demolishing the old high-school building, constructed in 1932. But the school board decided to keep the building.

Oak Ridge has experienced about a 10 percent growth in enrollment. Tatum said some space in the old high-school building likely will be needed for high-school classrooms; other space will be used for storage.

Oak Ridge serves parts of Cape Girardeau, Bollinger and Perry counties and has an enrollment of 336 students.

The campus includes the elementary school and two buildings housing the high school. The newer section of the existing high school would be renovated.

The new building is designed so it can be expanded if needed.