GALION — The Galion school board is seeking input from the community at its regular meeting as the district ponders a land acquisition. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in the Galion Middle School computer lab.
The board is requesting parent, community and business feedback on the possible purchase of two parcels of land to the south and the west of the Middle School. The total amount of land the district is seeking to purchase is 17.6 acres.
“We are looking at two very specific parcels of land directly adjacent to the current school property,” Galion Superintendent Jim Grubbs said. “The ultimate goal behind this purchase is to save district taxpayers money and provide suitable practice facilities for our students.”
The first parcel of land is approximately 2.3 acres south of the Middle School, directly next to the parking lot. The purpose of this acquisition would be to construct a bus garage/facilities maintenance location on the district’s campus.
“Initial figures show an estimated savings of $50,000 to $60,000 per year by having the bus garage/facilities maintenance operations on-site at the campus,” Grubbs said. “The district would recoup the purchase price of the land, and the cost of constructing the bus and maintenance facility, in just under 10 years.
“We anticipate an increase in staff efficiency with respect to our facility maintenance, along with an increase in safety should we ever need to perform an emergency evacuation of campus facilities with the buses already on the campus.”
The second parcel of land, which is approximately 15.3 acres, is located directly west of the Middle School. If the district acquires this property, it would be developed as a multi-use facility that would benefit students academically and athletically.
“This facility would help not only our physical education and athletic programs, but it would also help our outstanding marching band,” Grubbs said. “Furthermore, the Galion City School District is one of only two in the entire state of Ohio that does not have an oval track, limiting our ability to host Ohio High School Athletic Association district or regional competitions.
“Additionally, our new soccer teams need a practice facility that is closer to campus. We are very grateful that the Galion Historical Society has been gracious enough to allow our teams to practice in the grass lot south of Brownella Cottage, but we need to have those students practicing closer to campus for safety reasons.”
If you have any questions, would like to view aerial photographs of the proposed parcels of land the district would like to purchase or are unable to attend the public forum, please visit www.galionschools.org or call 419-468- 3432.