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JAMESTOWN – The public is getting its first look at the proposed improvement coming to Jamestown High School part of the district’s capital improvement project.
In a virtual tour posted on the district’s social media page this week, the school’s principal explained the remodeling process that will take place if the public approves the project during an upcoming vote.
“Jamestown High School is a beautiful building but it’s showing its age,” said High School Principal Dana Williams. “We need a lot of help.”
Williams says improvements to the roof, windows, ventilation and fire systems are all part of the construction plans, however, classroom renovations are among the most important.
“One of the biggest needs Jamestown High School has with regards to this capital project is the modernization of our classrooms,” said Williams. “Everyone learns better when they are comfortable in the classroom.”
He says larger instructional space is necessary to accommodate the growing number of students. Space issues were among problems the district had when reopening, because the small classrooms did not provide proper space for social distancing requirements.
The building’s entrance and cafeteria will also be transformed during the renovation, making the building more comfortable for students.
“Something I think the kids are really going to enjoy is to really modernize this cafeteria, to open it up, to raise the ceiling to get in some natural light. All those things will make this a place where kids really want to be,” said Williams.
Renovations are included in the five-year $86 million capital improvement project for Jamestown Public Schools that was approved by the district’s board of education last month.
The district is reimbursed for 98 percent of the improvements, with the school’s savings covering the remaining two percent. There would be no local tax increase as a result.
The public is slated to vote on both the district’s budget and capital improvement project next month.
A public hearing on the project will take place Tuesday, May 11 at 6 p.m. in the Persell Middle School auditorium.
This week the Board of Education also approved their over $89 million 2021-22 school budget that provides for additional equipment, technology and personnel, including a community navigator position to act as a liaison between the schools and the Hispanic community.
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