Principal urges council to act after community-approved middle school remains stalled

Tony Johnson, principal at Jervis Middle School, urged the Jervis City Council to move quickly to resume construction of a new middle school approved by voters in November 2024. "The community said yes," Johnson said, and asked council members to "make a phone call or sign a piece of paper" to push the project forward.

Johnson told the council the existing building has accessibility problems for students using wheelchairs: "the doorways to the classroom were barely wide enough to push the wheelchair through and... the exterior doors do not have automatic buttons." He said construction has been "stalled for weeks" and framed the new building as a community priority that "your children, parents, and entire community deserve."

City staff and council members acknowledged the concern. City manager (speaker 4) said he encouraged Marion County staff to move as they can through the permitting process and stated, "there are no permits sitting in our office waiting for classes." Council members asked clarifying questions about whether the school district was seeking any additional property; staff clarified that the paperwork in the packet showed only the 200-foot alleyway under consideration and that the school's existing footprint would not change.

The council did not record a formal action specifically directing additional measures on the school project during this meeting; staff said they would follow up on permitting questions and the council may schedule further discussion if needed. The meeting then proceeded to other agenda items.