Mantua – At the last Board meeting, Superintendent David Toth responded to inquiries about the newly completed paving project. He noted that although there are more paved surfaces that are in need of attention, due to the District’s limited funds, the Board followed the recommendation of the contractor, Tallmadge Asphalt, to resurface the most heavily traveled areas. He noted that the District will continue to cold patch problem areas for now, and to plan for more costly repairs in the future.
He shared that in order to get an idea of the total cost to repair and pave the entire District, residents should review an assessment of paved areas conducted in 2017 by IAP Government Services Group. This assessment, which was conducted at no charge to the District, recommended a total reconstruction of the High School parking area in 2021 at an estimated cost of $491,622. The 10-year upgrade plan for all paved areas was estimated at $3,065,604. He noted that the assessment, as well as all paving proposals reviewed by the School Board at the August 14th Board meeting can be found at the Crestwood Schools website (crestwoodschools.org), on his Twitter and Instagram feeds, or by calling him directly.
On a similar note, he shared the results of the roof assessment that was recently completed by Tremco. He noted that according to their study, in order to keep the CHS and CMS dry this winter, an estimated $20,000 – $25,000 in repairs will be necessary. Long-term repair costs are estimated at around $835,000 for the District’s two older buildings. He noted that District facilities are aging — CHS is 64 years & CMS is 53 years old & the elementary buildings are 15 years old– and upkeep and maintenance can be costly. He noted that maintaining these buildings is far different from maintaining a home, since 1,700 students and over 200 staff members utilize these structures each school day.
Toth noted the pressing need to strategically plan how to utilize our facilities and how much money to invest in them. “With our enrollment decline,” Toth noted, “I believe we need to start planning for building use and different building scenarios. We also need to forecast into the future the timing of operating and permanent improvement levies, as well as receiving community input on these specific items.”
Moving forward, Mr. Toth and the Board welcomed newly hired District Treasurer/CFO Deb Armbruster. Ms. Armbruster comes to Crestwood Schools after having served as Assistant to the Treasurer at South Euclid-Lyndhurst Schools and Chardon Local Schools.
Lastly, Mr. Toth recognized District employees Elizabeth Marlow and Heidi Duke for their enthusiasm and commitment to Crestwood’s kids. Marlow, a District employee for 35 years, was praised by CPS Principal Cindy Ducca for sharing her “absolute love of what she does and who she does it for,” for her fellow teachers and staff. While Ducca noted that while staff and students alike are drawn to Duke for her sense of humor and playful nature, on a serious note, Duke is committed to being a leader worth following. She thanks both women for their contribution to Crestwood students.
Due to scheduling conflicts, the next School Board Meeting will be held on Monday, November 5th at 7pm in the CHS library. Please make a note of the date change.
