Radovich outlines Bessemer school expansion project plans

BESSEMER - Bessemer Area Schools Superintendent David Radovich has released preliminary floor plans for the proposed A.D. Johnston High School expansion project that calls for closing Washington Elementary School and moving all students into one building.

There are roughly 400 students attending the school district. To make room for the influx of students at the high school, Radovich said plans include moving and adding walls in the multi-purpose room and the library to make about 10 classrooms for elementary students.

One of the highlights of the project, Radovich said, is a new elementary school gymnasium.

Inside the new gym on the ground floor, Radovich said there will be a regulation-sized basketball court, seating and a walking track that could be available for the public to use in evenings. There will also be two locker rooms and a storage room.

In the expansion, he said there will be a classroom for the school's 4-year-old program.

"We had a 4-year-old program before and we want to start ours up again," he said.

Plans also call for a new band room on the ground floor. The current band room is located directly below middle school classroom. Radovich said the band room becomes noisy and can't be used while classes are in session upstairs.

"In the new band room, there will be no rooms alongside or on top of it," Radovich said.

On the east side of the school, Radovich said there are plans to put a "bump-out" on Moore Street, where school buses would pull in to drop off students and then proceed back on to the street.

A new playground is also included in the floor plan, to be located on the east side of the school.

Radovich said discussion about the expansion project began after voters turned down a bond referendum roughly a year ago.

"We heard from voters that they did not want to put money into Washington Elementary School, thinking that it's so old," he said.

By consolidating to one school, Radovich said it will make lives easier for faculty and staff, while also saving the school district money by "streamlining" operations.

"Any savings that we get we can surely use to enhance curriculum opportunities, supplies or technology," he said.

Because the addition could protrude onto Iron Street, the district is discussing with city officials the possibility of closing the street. Currently, Radovich said multiple city officials are in favor of closing the street.

There are concerns about parking because the school is adjacent to the Gogebic County Courthouse. Radovich said courthouse employees will be given parking passes for the courthouse lot. He said if Bessemer students park there, the vehicles could be towed.

Only staff and visitors will be allowed to park next to the school in the remaining parking spots on Iron Street, he said.

Radovich said the project will remove nine existing parking spots.

There are about 15 students who commute to school, Radovich said. He said students may park along Massie Field or at an auxiliary parking lot.

Radovich said the project is up for referendum in May. If it passes, he said the expansion could be completed by the 2018-'19 school year.

Also if it passes, Radovich said the Bessemer school district will no longer be the last district in the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District to have more than one school building.

"I think it's going to be a good move. It's a good move for us as a district. We're excited about it," he said.