Morris High School board discusses interim plans for building improvements

The Morris Community High School board opted last month not to put a referendum regarding funding for a new school on the Tuesday, March 19 primary election ballot, but the board continued discussions Monday night on improvements they need to see done to maintain a proper school environment.

The board already approved a $2,180,000 bid to build a new addition that will house an elevator, a project that’s been under consideration since at least 2010 and probably longer. This need has grown even more in the weeks following, as Director of Student Services Lori Dite said the chair lift the school uses for disabled students broke down and forced classrooms to move around to avoid interruptions to education.

Handicap accessibility is just one issue that was addressed. Another issue came from Board member Lynn Vermillion, who said many of the problems she learned of during a November building tour were things she’d never heard about. Most important to Vermillion was school security.

“One of the first things I heard as I walked through was about the security officer at the front door, and the exact scripting was that she cannot always be there,” Vermillion said. “So the front office buzzes visitors in, which means people can walk right in. I about vomited when I heard that as a school board member.”

The person stationed at the front desk at Morris Community High School also works lunch duty in the cafeteria, which leaves the desk unattended during lunchtime.

Vermillion said it could be a construction issue but also a staffing issue. She would like to see someone whose job is monitoring the front door.

Vermillion would also like to see the school address accessibility to the restrooms: One of the things she learned during the meeting is that it’s impossible to fit a wheelchair in some restrooms.

“If we can’t go ahead with this new school, how can we make sure everyone has access to our restrooms?” Vermillion asked.

She also pointed to the science classrooms that are supposed to have access to gas, water, and electricity but have ongoing issues that leave them out of commission. Gas, water, and electricity don’t refer to their use as household utilities. They refer to how students would use them in science courses. Science classrooms have valves for gas, faucets, and plug-ins that students use for equipment like Bunsen burners.

Building and Grounds Director Mark Walker said some classrooms can access this equipment, but others have been capped off. This happened years ago, not recently.

“Some of this stuff we inherited,” Vermillion said. “But we can’t ignore it, especially when we’ve invited the public to come see it. This is what we tell them, and then we look foolish if we’re not looking at fixing it.”

Superintendent Craig Ortiz said a large part of the discussion involves how disconnected the campus is. This creates security and accessibility issues and raises more questions for the future.

“I guess we need an answer on that: Are you ok with us continuing to pour money into this building?” Ortiz said. “The 300 building is a disaster as it currently sits. Do we want to look at doing something with these three buildings so all of our students and staff are under one roof?”

Ortiz said the board could put a two-story building where the buildings end and connect them, but that wouldn’t address the front-end security or the science lab.

Board member Mike Wright said the board has to do something, whether it’s a bandage or something larger.

“I was a no-vote on the referendum this time around but we have to do something whether it’s mandated like we had up there before or take a major step,” Wright said. “But I stick to my guns that there is no way it was going to pass as discussed. (A failed referendum) would be a black eye that is gonna be hard to recover from.”

Wright said he could be a yes vote on the referendum if the board decides to put it on the November ballot.

The referendum kept off the March ballot for $126 million would be used to build a brand-new school in phases while students occupied parts of the old building that weren’t yet being worked on or demolished.