BY HAYLEE JOY

In early February, Wadsworth Schools Board of Education voted and approved the proposal to construct a new Central Intermediate School.

CIS has been around for over 100 years now. The last time they renovated it was in 2000. Those enhancements are supposed to be good for about 25 years, which means there should be some renovation done within the next few years anyway. The board is in hopes of having the construction completed by 2025. 

There are certainly a lot of unknowns with this situation, but as of right now, the cost estimate falls somewhere between $20 and $25 million. That being said, that number could drastically change once the site location is decided on. Plenty more information will be available once there is a definite location for the new building. 

The timeline is still being worked out as well. Once there are definite answers to all of these questions, there will be a more accurate cost estimate and more information to help the board make a decision. 

The Board has been meeting with architects every other Friday. It is anticipated that sooner than later, there will be a tangible schedule released for what the community and employee engagement process will look like as this moves forward. 

 “Millage for what we’ll be asking the community for will be determined as we go through the design process,” Hill said. 

While the current CIS will no longer be needed for school once the new building is in use, the district decided they would plan to sell the current building in hopes to hold the value of OJ Work Auditorium, perpetuating the structure. 

“It’s a goal to find a buyer for the facility who would put it to use for the community,” said Hill.  “While we’re looking to get this new building completed, we also recognize the historical importance of Central Intermediate School. It’s been here for over a century. There are people in this city who, when they went to school here, it was the only building they were ever in. Preserving that significance and heritage is something we all respect and want to maintain.”