Coultrap's building stays open for one more year

Although Geneva School Board members voted to move Coultrap Elementary School to the brand-new Williamsburg Elementary school for the 2008-2009 school year on Monday, Coultrap will still be filled with children next year as well.

That's because the board also unanimously passed a motion to temporarily move Harrison Street Elementary School students to Coultrap, while their school undergoes renovations.

"We will be hanging a banner at Coultrap that says Harrison Street School," said School Board President Mary Stith.

Harrison Street Elementary, on the east side of town, is scheduled to have asbestos removal in its 12 first- through third-grade classrooms, in addition to rewiring, re-plumbing and re-roofing in the summer and next school year.

Originally, the primary classes would have been stashed in the art, music, band, orchestra and therapy rooms as well as in one of the Harrison's two gymnasiums. However, with Coultrap vacant next year, district administrators proposed moving the students there, rather than attend classes with construction going on around them.

Although a few school board members expressed concern about the plan leaving open the possibility for students to move back to Harrison Street during the school year if construction is completed, Superintendent Dr. Kent Mutchler stated that this was done to give parents the opportunity to discuss the option if it arises.

"Indicators are they want to go for the entire school year, but we don't want to close the door," he said.

The option of moving back to Harrison Street mid-year requires school board approval.

Coultrap, which originally opened as a high school, was scheduled to close next year. The school board hasn't decided what to do with the building in the long term, although they have discussed moving district administrative offices there.

In the meantime, its life as an elementary school has been extended for one more year.

"This is one of the best examples of taking a problem and thinking outside the box," said Stith. "It just worked and just made perfect sense in the whole process."