Dozens brave heat, tour South
By Bob Robinson
Safety of the students a primary concern
“It’s been pretty much non-stop traffic since about 8:45,” said Administrative Services Director Jon McGreevy.
Greenville Schools opened South School for tours at 6 a.m. Saturday to give “doubters” a chance to see the facility prior to voting for the bond on Aug. 3.
Supt. Susie Riegle said they started the tours early because they challenged the early “McDonald’s crowd” to stop by. Some of that group took the early tour, but the traffic didn’t really start until after 8:30 or so.
By the time I arrived at 9:30, the guestimates were that about 40 or 50 had toured so far. According to Riegle, three-fourths of them were on the fence or “doubters.”
While I was there, the traffic was constant, with two or three people arriving every few minutes, including one gentleman who said he was there in response to my challenge.
On hand for the tours were Board of Education members Cindy Scott and Jim Sommer. Greenville Schools Treasurer Carla Surber was there, with laptop, to answer questions about finances or maintenance issues.
Surber said that one resident noted that the building had been well maintained, but maintenance wasn’t the problem.
“My biggest concern is that basement,” he said after taking the tour. “What if there’s a fire? How do they get out?”
The only access to the basement where the computer lab and two bathrooms are, are two narrow stairways. The concern is the same for the fourth floor, which is accessible only by two old wooden stairways.
“When this tri-level building was built in 1911, and then added on… basically two buildings with long, narrow hallways, there was no safety net created for the kids,” Surber said.
It also has to be locked down due to safety issues.
“We can’t open up the building like we used to,” she added.
The early risers touring the facility were likely the only ones not covered in sweat by the time they left.
Riegle was talking to Wave96 founder, Lee Keaser, a recent graduate of Greenville Schools, in one of the classrooms.
“I don’t know how you do it,” Keaser said. “We’ve been here 20 minutes and I’m already sweating.”
Noting that the facility needed to be replaced, he added that there were so many good things about this district “that people don’t see.”
Republican Candidate for Commissioner Mike Stegall led a group to the room he remembers being his home at South, noting that his teacher had also taught his father and grandfather.
He said he remembers the hallways always being crowded as he led us down two of them to a room on the end.
“That’s where her desk was, pointing to his right… looks a lot different now. This building is just old… desperately old,” he said.
I asked Surber about the accusation that maintenance people were told once to ignore repairs because “we are going to get a new building anyway.”
“I’ve heard that,” she said, “but I have no idea who might have said it or where it could have come from. I have the numbers… considerable dollars – over a half million a year – have been spent on maintenance of all buildings, including this one.”
As I was starting to leave, I was tapped on the shoulder. It was one of Greenville’s strongest – and definitely youngest – bond supporters, Elizabeth Horner, along with her Mom, Ruby.
Elizabeth didn’t come to be convinced… she came to convince! If anyone can do it, she can.
Bob Robinson is the retired editor of The Daily Advocate, Greenville, Ohio. If you wish to receive notification of his comments, opinions and reports when they are posted, send your email address to: opinionsbybob@gmail.com. Feel free to express your views.
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