Published: October 09, 2008 01:57 am      

CITY OF LOCKPORT: School board capital project meeting is Oct. 22

School board members are going to get a look at the proposed capital project at a special informational meeting at 6 p.m. Oct. 22.

The meeting will be held in the district offices, 130 Beattie Ave., and is open to the public. District officials will meet with the architect for the project, Young and Wright of Buffalo, to discuss how to lay out the capital project.

“We will have a formal presentation by our architect to determine how we would like to put it out to the community for their vote,” Superintendent Terry Ann Carbone said.

The project’s goal is to renovate Lockport High School, upgrading the school in a number of areas. The school would build a new athletic complex for varsity soccer, lacrosse and football. The project also includes upgrading windows and playing fields, a new fitness center, upgrading the auditorium and music wing, renovating the technology wing and constructing a new wing of about six to eight classrooms.

Board member Thomas Fiegl said the school board’s facilities committee is recommending the board go ahead with the project. The committee is recommending the project be presented as two propositions to be voted on, but the decision to do that will be made by the school board as a whole. The school board will vote on the project Oct. 29, and then it will go before the public in a December vote. Board President Marietta Schrader said the committee decided to recommend two propositions after meeting with the architect.

“That was their (the architect’s) recommendation,” she said.

There are still some specifics about the project to be worked out before the board votes on Oct. 29. That includes how the project will be divided into two propositions, if the board chooses to do so.

In other district news, Carbone said work on the roof over the high school pool was delayed due to inclement weather, but is still on track to be completed in November. The district closed the pool in the spring when it learned the roof had been badly damaged and posed a safety concern to kids.

Also Wednesday night, the board approved a contract for $9,450 with Transportation Advisory Services. Based in Walworth, the firm specializes in student transportation consulting and provides an in-depth report to districts. TAS works with school districts in 18 different states and more than 300 districts in New York state, including the Newfane Central School District.

Contact reporter Joe Olenick at 439-9222, ext. 6241.