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Middletown district selects design firm to address its building needs

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By Denise Wilson, Staff Writer 6:47 PM Wednesday, January 4, 2012

MIDDLETOWN — Middletown City Schools has entered into a contract with an architectural design firm to help it determine the district’s future facility needs.

The board by a 4-1 vote approved an agreement with Fanney/Howey Associates Inc., not to exceed $24,900 to help guide the district through a facilities planning process. The agreement runs from Jan. 1, 2012 through May, said Milt Thompson, the district’s business manager.

Board Member Greg Tyus voted against the contract, but declined to explain why.

Fanning/Howey was one of four architectural design firms to submit request for qualifications being sought by the district to help determine its long term facilities master plan needs.

By the end of January and early February, Thompson said the district also plans to conduct community forums.

“We hope to have our first community forum with the facilities committee and try to open up forums over the next 6-12 weeks to engage our community, and talk about our Phase I and Phase II projects and how similar or how different the current Phase II project is today (since 2003),” he said.

“It’s going to be interesting to re-engage our community about our schools for the future and make sure that they have a lot of great opportunities to give us some real good feedback.”

The process will give the board several options to consider by the end of April, which will allow it time to determine how best to utilize district dollars until its Ohio School Facilities Commission number is called, which might be four to five years away, Thompson said.

“I want to make sure as business manager that when a boiler breaks or something major breaks at our secondary schools — the middle and high schools — that cost a major amount of money, I want to know that we’re spending the money in the best way possible for the taxpayer,” he said.

Contact this reporter at (513) 483-5219 or dewilson@coxohio.com.

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