Fort Frye BOE discusses construction project

Jun 9, 2023

BEVERLY — The Fort Frye Schools Board of Education voted to increase the base price of a construction project at a special session held at Beverly-Center Elementary School on Monday.

The project in question was for a walk-in cooler and freezer that will be built in the kitchen at Beverly-Center.

"Our architect advised us to raise the amount from $75,000 to $110,000 because of the costs of materials," district Treasurer Stacy Bolden said.

The board passed the measure. After the meeting, they toured through the school to check on the progress of construction.

"Walls and doors are being built," she said. "You had to walk through one class to get to another one."

Bolden said the construction on the inside started after school let out for the summer May 15. She said the goal is to finish by Sept. 5, the start of the next school year.

"We pushed back the date to allow more time," she said.

Superintendent Stephanie Starcher said the building's design was a product of the time it was built in.

"This was an open classroom that was built in the 1960s. It was a common concept back then," she said.

Starcher reiterated Bolden's point about walking through classrooms.

"If I had a second grade class walking, I would have to get through another classroom to get to mine. It's a huge disruption to have noise and people walking through," she said.

Starcher also said privacy and security were big concerns, which lead to the addition of secure vestibules at all five Fort Frye School District locations: Beverly-Center Elementary, Salem-Liberty Elementary, Lowell Elementary, Fort Frye Middle School and Fort Frye High School.

Starcher said she had seen a similar arrangement at Warren High School in Vincent.

"At Warren, you have to buzz in the office to gain access. The goal is to need multiple permissions to gain access to the building. It's more secure," she said.

Starcher said the district is also adding new Board of Education offices at the front of the Beverly-Center building.

"We are building board offices at the front of the building so people can access us quickly, and they won't have to go into the school itself," she said.

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox