Knox School Board to Get Update on Planning Process for Potential Building Improvements Tonight

Discussions continue at Knox Community Schools over a potential building project. Back in September, the school board hired architectural firm Schmidt Associates to develop plans for future construction, after the firm had previously completed a facilities study for the corporation. Representatives will give an update to the school board, during a work session tonight at 6:00 at the Knox Schools Administrative Office.

It will be the first of many meetings to discuss the potential building improvements, according to Superintendent Dr. William Reichhart. Next Wednesday, Schmidt Associates is scheduled meet with a steering committee of up to 35 invited community members. “We will be going out to the community and getting input and wanting to know what our community wants us to do with our school district, in terms of buildings, remodeling, adding on, and those type of things,” he told the school board last month. “Nothing’s been decided. And that’s why it’s important for everyone to attend these meetings, and then we’ll take it to the whole community, after this steering committee finishes up their work.”

Among other changes, Schmidt Associates’ facilities study proposed demolishing the older section of the elementary school and re-configuring the current middle school building into an “intermediate school” for grades three through six. The existing high school would house grades seven through 12, after getting a 50,000-square-foot addition.

Reichhart said the proposed upgrades may also include some new facilities for the SCILL Center. “They’re willing to dedicate some money, a considerable amount of money, to us, if we can move our welding and robotics and maybe culinary arts programs all into a new facility that would be state-of-the-art with a SCILL sign on the side of that building,” Reichhart said. He added that it will probably be at least three years before any potential new facilities would be ready for use.