OCSD set to embark on major improvements

May 9—OTTUMWA — It wasn't long ago that ideas were floated about whether to build a new Ottumwa High School.

Times, and thinking, have changed. The school district is going all-in with the current building.

The school board approved a massive multi-phase renovation plan to the high school and other buildings over the next two years during Monday's board of education meeting at Career Campus.

The high school will see about $30 million in renovations, while Evans Middle School and two elementary schools also will get improvements in an effort to modernize some of the school district's aging buildings and amenities.

"What this does is take the high school to the next stage of making it a campus, and I know the high school is really excited about that," superintendent Mike McGrory said. "It's just going to be a lot of fun."

The process is expected to move quickly, with all renovations at the buildings to be completed by the start of the 2025-26 school year. The district sought feedback from the community teachers, staff and coaches to determine what renovations should be made.

Phase one (summer 2023 to fall 2024)

The centerpiece of the renovations is the $10.5 million competition gym that will be across the high school on Second Street, and feature two full-sized basketball courts and three volleyball courts. The school district received approval from the Ottumwa City Council to rezone that parking lot to make way for the complex.

Also, spectators will be walking down from a concourse to seating, and there will be a pair of video boards potentially measuring 8 feet by 14 feet, and regular scoreboards. Construction is anticipated to start this summer and, when complete, will signal the end of almost 70 years of hosting high school events at Evans.

The new gym also will have a connecting, above-ground walkway to the second floor of the high school and will also hold the school's physical education classes. The project is expected to be done in the fall of 2024.

Despite the complex taking most of the current parking lot, there will be more than double the number of parking spaces available compared to Evans. Also, the main gym, where most varsity games will be played, has room for 1,093 fans, but the entire building can accommodate almost 1,500.

However, the competition gym will not be the only work during this phase. An initial 15 classrooms — mainly on the third floor — will be renovated over the summer and fall, the wrestling room will be renovated and fine arts improvements made, specifically

"We're really excited to get our classrooms in the renovation phase. We've had renovations in the past, but we are needing some updated," OHS principal Shelley Bramschreiber said. "I wanted to make sure the classrooms we chose that, when we do a major remodel in a year, they would still be classrooms."

Once that is finished, another "five to 10 classrooms" will be renovated, Bramschreiber said. She said it takes about three weeks to renovate one. Teachers have been given decorative choices of accent walls, furniture and other items, and if they wanted student desks or tables.

Regarding fine arts, the auditorium will feature new carpet, paint, stage doors, seating and front curtain. The current seats will go to Evans for its auditorium, and the new ones at OHS will be various sizes, so those watching performances will be able to see the stage between seats.

Evans' auditorium will have a new sound system, HVAC, lighting, paint, screens and carpet. The middle school also will have two mini-pitches on the south side of the building.

James Elementary will have a new secure entrance to the building that should be finished before next school year, and a mini-pitch will be built at Liberty as well.

Phase two (summer 2024-25)

Though the standard classroom remodeling will continue, the most extensive remodeling will take place starting at the end of the next school year. Classrooms will be renovated up to current code.

"Next year is going to be really critical to continue our committee work and get teacher input on what will be happening during phase two of the OHS remodel," Bramschreiber said. "So like, when ninth grade is transitioning out, we're going to begin having more room. So how are we going to use that extra space? Our science labs are very outdated, so teachers will need to be designing what they want their whole science department to look like and thinking long-term."

Other areas that will see renovations are the family and consumer science areas, applied technology, and career and technical education.

Also, the wrestling room, which will still be in the high school, will undergo a major renovation that will not only accommodate the boys team, but also the growing girls program, activities director Brandon Brooks said.

"The space that we're modeling from the wood gym will be their practice room," he said. "It'll replace the wrestling room that's downstairs."

Fine arts improvements also will continue, with a stage expansion, lighting improvements, backstage curtain replacements and a remodeling of changing rooms also taking place.

There will also be more fine arts work taking place at Evans, with curtain replacements, a new stage and updates to offices and doors on the docket.

Phase three (summer 2025 to fall 2025)

The school district only planned for a third phase if necessary, for example, if work gets behind schedule. There won't be any special projects as a part of the third phase, only continuations on the extensive remodeling that has been done already.

Most of the phases will occur as the school district reshuffles its grade levels.

In other business:

— Allen said a live-stream camera of the Douma reconstruction is on the homepage of the school district's website. The foundation for the grade 3-5 extension to the current building will start next week, and structural steel will be going up in early June.

— McGrory took time to recognize School Board Appreciation Month, Teach Appreciation week and Nurses Appreciation Week.

"I've seen firsthand all the tireless efforts you put into ensuring our schools run smoothly and efficiently," he said. "The school board is the backbone of our school system. We really try to emphasize that we hope our teachers feel recognized and special throughout the year."

— Chad Drury can be reached at cdrury@ottumwacourier.com, and on Twitter @ChadDrury