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The Graham Local School District is looking to build a new bus garage that will be more accessible to both buses and community members.
It will be built on farmland the district owns east of its elementary school, using $625,000 received from the state via the Ohio School Facilities Commission.
District Operations and Services Supervisor Don Burley said he is working hard to keeping building costs within the range of these funds, which can be used only for permanent improvements, such as buildings. The final cost of the project, which hasn’t gone up for bid yet, has not yet been determined.
Burley said the combination of the district desiring a more up-to-date facility and having received funding has encouraged this year’s project.
The district’s transportation and maintenance departments are currently housed behind the junior high school building that students no longer use. Norm Glismann, the district’s superintendent, said the new bus garage will allow the district to save money by having all of its maintenance buildings in one location.
“We’ll now be able to divest ourselves of the old junior high site and that will be a benefit to the district,” Glismann said. “It’ll save money, you know. We won’t have to insure the other properties; we won’t have the utilities of those other properties, so it will be a big benefit to the district.”
Burley estimated the district will save “tens of thousands of dollars every year,” adding that the square footage of the new building will be smaller overall than the junior high site and more energy efficient.
A service driveway for bus traffic coming off of North Heck Hill may also be included in the project, Burley said. He said the addition of a service driveway and bus garage at the elementary campus would alleviate heavy traffic on U.S. 36, where the district’s three school buildings are located.
Buses traveling on North Heck Hill could enter the school using the service driveway, reducing the number of buses entering the school from U.S. 36. Additionally, Burley said the bus garage’s new location would eliminate buses having to cross the railroad tracks on U.S. 36 every time they travel between the school and the transportation department.
“When a bus stops at the railroad tracks, that’s a lengthy process for safety; they have to stop, open the doors,” Burley said. “By having the bus garage on the elementary and middle school campus, it’s going to eliminate a large amount of that traffic before dismissal and before arrival every morning.”
Burley said the new garage would bring another added benefit.
“Having our buses out on the campus by the elementary will enhance security,” Burley said.
He said most buses are currently parked behind the old junior high school and are difficult to see from the road.
“We’re hoping with this (project), parents and community members who need to visit the transportation department to fill out forms or for information, this will be much more accessible for them,” Burley said.
While still in the design phase, the bus garage project began in March.
“The reason it’s taking so long is I want to make sure we’re being very, very frugal with our money, being as cost effective as possible, even before we send it to the board (of education for bids),” said Burley, who is acting as the district’s construction manager to further save the district money.
Burley said details of the project will be presented to the school board in October. The district can then look for bids to move forward with construction. He said the bus garage will include space for making minor fixes to buses, storage space for mowers, office space and space for maintenance employees to fix chairs, tables and other items.
“I think it’s going to be a huge advantage for the school to have all of our buses and transportation and transportation staff right in that area,” Burley said.
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