New look for Falls

School remodeled for future use

NEWTON FALLS -- Over winter break, Newton Falls classified workers spent time getting the former elementary school building ready for future use as a possible preschool and training rooms.

In November, the board of education toured the building that had tables, chairs and televisions piled up in hallways and in classrooms. Last week, the board went through the building a second time to see classrooms lined with student desks spaced apart following social distancing guidelines and hallways cleared of tables, desks and chairs.

Superintendent Rocco Adduci said there are plans for the former elementary school building that has not been used since 2018.

The school was no longer used after enrollment in the district decreased and grades kindergarten to third were moved to a middle school building nearby.

He said plans may include a preschool and daycare, countywide special education services, or for educational training for staff. However, because of the coronavirus, plans may be on hold.

"We have to follow COVID-19 guidelines. We want to bring the students in our media class over here to videotape all the rooms and place it on the school district website," Adduci said.

He said he would like countywide school meetings to be able to be held in the building as well as shared services with various school districts to gather there for trainings.

"We really want to have programs and services running in the building by next fall. I have already spoken to some superintendents," Adduci said.

JoEllen Seidner, maintenance supervisor, said over winter break and during December when the schools were closed to in-person learning because of the coronavirus, there was extensive cleaning of the entire school as well as maintenance work on lights, electrical, ceiling tiles and plumbing.

"We have the building ready to be used when it can be. Any staff can walk in the door and sit down at a desk and be ready to teach and work here. This building has been cleaned and sanitized from top to bottom. There are computers, student desks and teacher desks in the classrooms. We did not leave any room untouched," Seidner said.

She said the building is available for various options on usage.

Seidner said in additional to custodial and maintenance personnel, busing and kitchen staff also helped with the project.

"We came together as a big team to get this done. Different areas worked together as one to get this building done in three weeks. It is key ready for any option," she said.

Seidner said some rooms were set up as conference rooms or for testing rooms such as for the ACT.

One room had 80 old televisions, but because there is lead in the screens, it was difficult to find a company or business to take them, Seidner said. She said a recycling company did take the televisions and gave the district a check.

Seidner said anything that was not broken or damaged was able to be reused in some way. A local group uses a room in the building for preparing bags and backpacks filled with non-perishable food items for children on the weekends.

Board President Amie Crowder said grants can be sought to help cover costs for programs and services at the building and retired teachers could help with the daycare and preschool.

Crowder also suggested adult services could be offered at the building, creating an intergenerational usage of the building with younger children and older adults.

Officials said no extra money was used to clean up the building.

"It is a great building that was able to come back to life," Seidner said.

In 2018, when the school was closed, officials said there would be a savings of $53,799 in utility costs annually.

Grades kindergarten to third, which were housed at the elementary, joined fourth and fifth grades at the middle school. The sixth grade moved from the middle school to the junior high with seventh and eighth grades.