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Clinton still plans referendum

CLINTON — The Clinton School Board voted Tuesday to keep working on a proposed November referendum.

Staff and architects still are crunching numbers, but news was good for taxpayers Tuesday night.

If the district chooses to install a geothermal heating system at Clinton Elementary, 301 East St., it will be cheaper than previously thought.

And designers might have found a solution that corrects some of the chaos in the parking lot before and after school at Clinton Elementary.

The district is considering upgrades and expansion to the elementary school and security upgrades to Clinton middle and high schools. A facilities committee has recommended an $8.1 million option, which would include $6.3 million for the elementary school to renovate classrooms and build a new gym and art and music rooms.

Other options offer $2.2 million or $8.1 million in spending at the elementary school.

Last month, the district learned a geothermal heating system is feasible for the elementary school. Geothermal systems pipe water deep underground to heat or cool it, then circulate the water to heat or cool the building.

Geothermal costs a more to build, but savings in construction and demolition of the old heating system will cost thousands of dollars less than the $1.25 million originally estimated, District Business Administrator Kathy Zwirgzdas said. It still will cost more than a $1.07 million conventional heating system, however.

Depending on the way savings are calculated, geothermal will pay for itself in up to 11 years, Zwirgzdas said.

To solve safety concerns in the parking lot, Bray brought in a civil engineer to find a way to separate buses from kids and parents walking to and from parked cars.

The issue has been a sticking point throughout the district’s research into the school’s needs.

Under the plan, buses still would enter from East Street and park on the south side of the school. But instead of pulling straight back onto East Street, the buses could turn roughly south and then west around a proposed parents’ parking area to get to East Street.