School
bigger, better in Oxford
$7.6M makeover gets good reviews.
Friday, December 03, 2004 • By SARA LEITCH •
The Express-Times
OXFORD TWP. -- As a rock band played onstage Thursday
night, two dozen children ran, cartwheeled and shouted at
the back of Oxford Central School's colorful new
gymnasium.
The concert, part of the open house celebrating the end
of the $7.6 million school expansion and renovation, was one
example of the way school officials hope residents will use
the new building.
"We tried to build a building that could be used not
just for students, but for the community," chief school
administrator Dennis Wolf said. "We wanted to get the best
use of out the taxpayers' dollars."
The 29,750-square-foot addition to the Kent Street
facility, which added eight classrooms, the gymnasium, an
art room and a science laboratory, got rave review from
parents and students who attended the open house.
"There's a lot more space to use, it's much better for
the kids," said Carol Halloran, who has two children at the
school. "It's a wonderful thing."
Several students said the new gymnasium was their
favorite addition to the school.
"The old gym was half this size, and the stage was in
the cafeteria, instead of like in a normal school," said
Jenn McKimm, a seventh-grade student.
Fourth-grader Patrick McHale said the library's
computers lab was his favorite part of the renovation.
"I go on the computer and make webs, sometimes I go on
and play games," he said.
The ocean-themed library, in the school's former gym,
features a large painting of undersea life and a display
shelf shaped like a lighthouse. Those touches were a nod to
the school's participation in Rutgers University's Marine
Activities, Resources and Education program.
The school previously had no library, keeping some books
in storage and using a bookmobile to distribute others.
Volunteers raised $50,000 to buy books and furniture for the
library.
In addition to the library lab, students will be able to
use new laptop computers and a technology lab in an upstairs
classroom. That lab will host free night and weekend classes
for community members who want to learn about the Internet
and computer programs like Excel and PowerPoint. The classes
will be funded through a state education grant designed to
promote community access to technology.
The addition opened more than a year behind schedule,
forcing some students to spend an extra semester studying in
a nearby church building. The school board and the
contractor are suing each other over the delays and related
expenses.
Though school officials alluded to the dispute, the
evening's focus was on the completed building's value to the
school and the community.
"The results, you can see, are well worth the wait,"
Warren County Superintendent of Schools William King said.
"Long after all the people associated with this school are
gone, this school will still be here and impacting on the
lives of students, generations from now."
Reporter Sara Leitch can be reached at 908-475-8044 or by
e-mail at sleitch@express-times.com.
© 2004 The Express-Times. Used with
permission.
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