School district starts review and comment on proposed project

The Jan. 12 Glencoe-Silver Lake (GSL) School Board planning meeting brought many issues to the table, but none more in-depth than the proposal to close Helen Baker School and relocate kindergarten through second grade to the Lincoln Junior High and GSL High School campus.
To accommodate this expansion a review and comment proposal has been drafted and presented to the School Board, with the intent to pass it on for Department of Education approval and, eventually, put to a community vote on May 12.
The proposal explains the district’s mission: “Creating an environment where education is valued, excellence is expected and lifelong learning thrives.” If the community approves the bond, this environment could be created on a large extended campus serving 73 percent of the district’s students, according to school officials.
The project, drafted by the architectural firm of Rego and Youngquist, will consist of 84,722 square feet of new construction and 2,992 square feet of remodeled construction. The project proposes connecting the Lincoln and high school buildings with additions for classroom space, and a new kitchen that will prepare food for kindergarten through second as well as seventh through 12th grades. It also includes more gymnasium and locker room space. The amount of financing will come to $24.095 million.
The physical condition at Helen Baker School has been considered outdated and inadequate as far back as 1993, when the first task force was formed to examine the needs of the school, school officials say.

For more, see the Jan. 21 print edition of The Chronicle.