(Atlantic) At an emergency meeting on Tuesday night, the Atlantic School Board approved a plan to temporarily re-locate approximately 330 Atlantic Middle School students following a fire that caused significant water damage to the structure.
Atlantic School’s Superintendent Steve Barber presented the plan, and the School Board approved the plan to temporarily re-locate the 8th-grade students to the high school and the 6th and 7th graders to the EOC building. Barber stated earlier that 85-percent of the building sustained minor to severe damage, forcing school administrators to develop a plan where students could still learn face-to-face with a teacher.
Barber says the goal was to serve middle school grades together, find a logical and doable plan, least disruptive for the district’s middle school students and staff.
Barber says having the 8th-grade students at the high school will take very little if any construction work. Students would be kept separated from the 9-12 grade students as much as possible. This would include before and after school, hallway passing, and lunches. The intent is to keep the 8th graders centrally located during classes, and the classrooms will be located in the Media Center.
The 7th-grade students will be located on the eastern third of the Achievement Center. Currently, this space is occupied and utilized by the baseball and softball programs. The district is in the process of getting approval from the state fire inspector to construct six classrooms consisting of temporary walls eight feet high, with double sheetrock and insulation. The rooms, although not finalized, will be at least 32’x21, which is 672 square feet which is a little larger than many of the rooms at the middle school. The building is wired for technology, so all students and staff will have access to the school’s wifi besides adding a few wireless access points. Barber says that once approved by the state, crews will begin construction. He says Akin Building Center has enough material for this temporary project.
Barber says the 6th-grade students will be located in the western third of the EOC building. Currently, the EOC and Links program utilizes the classroom space in front of the building. The EOC program would be re-located to a room or rooms at the Iowa Western Community College. The Links students and staff would find a temporary home in the Early Learning Center where the Home School Assistance program is located. Unlike the east end, this space is ready to move into and serve the students. Barber says very little construction is needed.
The Central Office will be temporarily housed in the Achievement Center.
Meanwhile, Barber says the building is currently being cleaned, and restoration will follow. He says that phase of the project could take the entire school year.
The first day of school is August 23.
