Manatee school board votes to completely renovate Witt Elementary. Not all were happy

To the dismay of two school board members, Gene Witt Elementary School will soon be renovated and expanded rather than demolished and reconstructed.

Before the hour-long discussion and the final vote on Tuesday night, a parent of three Witt Elementary students urged the board to take action. Marcie Hackman described roof leaks, dysfunctional bathrooms and “other areas in horrible disrepair.”

“There is known mold throughout the whole school at Gene Witt, and you can smell it when you enter the school,” she said. “It’s concerning to know that companies were in and out of the school over the summer in hazard suits to clean it, and our students started in the same classrooms in regular clothes.”

A renovation budget of $17 million was established in April 2018. The starting amount was recently described as a “placeholder budget” by Jane Dreger, director of construction services for the school district.

An increased budget of $20.4 million was established in September 2018 but last month, more than one year later, the school board learned a renovation would cost $3 million more than expected. Some board members felt the renovation project was nearing the cost of a brand new school, sparking further conversations and delay.

Speaking on Tuesday night, Hackman called for swift action, regardless of whether the board wanted to renovate Witt Elementary or totally rebuild the campus.

“We have been stunned, disappointed and frustrated with the budget issues, health issues, and delays in the construction process for our school,” Hackman said.

If the school board chose reconstruction, the district would have needed three to six months for a “Castaldi Analysis,” said Superintendent Cynthia Saunders, responding to board questions.

That analysis would then be sent to the Florida Department of Education for review.

If a demolition were approved, the district would form a plan to relocate students and construct a new school over 18 to 24 months.

Board member James Golden felt it was inappropriate to reverse course on renovations and plans that were started more than one year ago. He said Witt Elementary needed a quick solution to help students who endured “the most atrocious of circumstances.”

Golden also favored a renovation because it posed less disruption to students, who would be allowed to stay on campus during the project. That sentiment was echoed by board member Charlie Kennedy.

Kennedy said it was hard to justify the demolition of Witt Elementary, the relocation of students and the construction of a new campus when renovation plans were already established. Families at the school, he said, have been vocal in their desire for both action and stability.

“This is one of the big ones as far as parent communication to us,” he said. “These are parents who have been waiting for a long time.”

Board members previously weighed the $23.4 million cost to renovate Witt Elementary with the $28 million it cost to build Barbara Harvey Elementary, which opened this year.

The comparison sparked a debate about whether a renovation or new construction was the better investment. During the conversation on Tuesday night, Vice-Chair Gina messenger said the board had to consider the costs of demolishing Witt Elementary and transporting students to a new location.

Dreger, the director of construction services, said board members should also consider the steady increase in yearly building costs. Citing a “conservative ballpark number,” Dreger said the demolition and reconstruction would likely total between $36 million to $38 million.

Aside from the cost, she felt it was unlikely the Florida DOE would approve a Castaldi Analysis and the demolition of a 26-year-old campus. Dreger also noted that approximately $4 million was already spent on renovation plans and the preparation for new classrooms.

Still, two board members were unconvinced. As he made the case for a full rebuild, Chairman Dave Miner continually referred to the students and the school itself as “sick,” issues that went beyond a renovation.

He said construction, a temporary inconvenience, was the answer to modernizing Witt Elementary and protecting the health of its occupants.

“I don’t think we’re serving the students, the staff, the district and the taxpayers by spending more money on trying to fix something that is so sick,” he said.

Frustrated by the increasing budget and talks of renovating a seven-building campus, board member Scott Hopes said an analysis should have been done at the beginning. He believed a new, more consolidated school was the best option, and the analysis would settle their debate.

But three board members — Messenger, Kennedy and Golden — eventually voted in favor of continuing the renovation and approving a $3 million increase to the budget, allowing the project to move forward.

Miner and Hopes voted against the renovation, which is expected to last approximately 16 months, according to the construction director.

“Congratulations on making a brand new, old school,” Hopes quipped.

This story was originally published November 13, 2019 at 9:25 AM.