Keeping Finley Middle School in Good Shape
Over the past decade, Huntington School District residents have authorized spending millions of dollars to keep the district’s eight buildings in good condition. By addressing facility needs in a timely manner, even more expensive work has been prevented.
The district has a longstanding philosophy of avoiding expensive bond issues and has instead preferred to use existing revenues to fund renovation and reconstruction projects. The district has also made use of more than $1.3 million in state EXCEL monies to address various capital needs.
J. Taylor Finley Middle School is now more than four decades old and district officials have been keeping a close eye on that building’s needs. Several projects have been designed, including replacement of the original oil tank, boiler room asbestos abatement, stage wiring replacement and replacement of the fire alarm system. These projects have been initially estimated to cost more than $530,000 although the actual cost after competitive bidding could be much lower.
District officials have also identified other potential projects at Finley for future years. These include ceiling tile replacement, roadway and parking lot renovation, asbestos flooring replacement, improvements to parking lot lighting, replacement of the building’s security system, athletic field repairs, replacement of lockers in the locker rooms and replacement of the public address/communication system.
By largely adhering to a “pay-as-you-go” philosophy, the district has avoiding taking on a huge debt and being burdened with large annual interest payments.
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