Tour of Central school highlights accessibility gaps and aging infrastructure

Staff and student leaders conducting a tour of Central described deteriorating infrastructure and accessibility barriers that limit some students’ ability to use key parts of the school, including the upstairs multipurpose room.

The condition matters because staff said the building’s layout and state of repair affect which students can participate in daily specials, library and extracurricular activities. Student leaders and staff said spaces originally intended for art and other programs have been moved to the lower level so that students who cannot climb stairs can still attend them.

A staff member leading the tour said Central was built in 1941 and that portions of the building were left unfinished during World War II; the speaker described the basement as the primary point where utilities enter and where a range of mechanical systems and storage are kept. The tour guide said parts of the basement and other sections are “kind of falling to pieces” and pointed to boilers and utility connections located there.

Staff noted multiple operational constraints. The building has no elevator, which staff said prevents students with mobility needs from accessing upstairs classrooms and a large multipurpose room. As a result, the art room and many specials are held on the ground floor or in modular units so those students can attend. A staff member said scheduling is done “purposefully” to ensure students who cannot use the stairs do not miss services, and that some students therefore never visit the upstairs spaces.

The tour highlighted cramped teaching spaces and repurposed rooms. Staff said the library and art space once occupied separate rooms but now share space; library time runs on a six-day rotation and is limited by capacity. One teacher’s workroom and small-group rooms were described as tight for groups larger than six to eight students. Staff said bookshelves and some new chairs were recently purchased to make better use of the limited space.

Operational details noted during the tour include: a small kitchen that receives delivered meals and is used to serve about 200 students on school days; a server rack and district-wide cafeteria storage room in a space that also stores equipment for other schools; modular units that house the social worker and outside counseling partners (identified as Springvale partners); and a supply area where clothes, toiletries and district supplies are staged for distribution to multiple buildings.

Maintenance and safety observations included a broken patio and at least one drinking fountain that had fallen off the wall earlier in the year and was re-secured by maintenance staff. Staff also said some restrooms include safety features and that a sensory room is available for students who need a quiet break, though it is used less frequently this year than in some prior years.

Several teachers and staff identified operational limitations: one staff member said the air-conditioning does not work in at least one area visited; another noted small-group spaces for English-language learners and Title students are too small for larger groups. Student leaders — introduced during the tour by name — described the hallways and rooms they and their classmates use and pointed out where supplies and student recognition displays are located.

The tour concluded as participants prepared to return for a scheduled meeting; staff said the board meeting would begin in roughly eight minutes. No formal decisions or votes were recorded during the tour portion of the transcript provided.