Makeover coming to third floor of education center

The third floor of the Worthington City Schools Education Center will get a makeover courtesy of a new renter who is interested in leasing the space.

Worthington school board members voted 5-0 at their regular meeting Aug. 9 to advertise for bids on the $125,000 renovation of the Education Center's third floor.

The renovation of the space, which has been unfinished since the district acquired the building, will pay for itself after three years in rental costs, said director of facility management Tim Gehring.

Part of the third floor is already rented to wellness technology company YourQuest, which is hoping to downsize its offices. A second company, Care After School, which runs the district's aftercare program, would like to rent part of the third floor after it's renovated, Gehring said.

"Our business plan has always been to find a partner with a similar mission to ours and make (the space) useful We're taking this opportunity as a catalyst."

The renovation plans include replacing some ceiling tiles and the construction of some new walls, said executive director of administrative services George Joseph.

"There will be four offices and a shared conference room," he said.

The renovations are scheduled to begin in September and wrap in November.

YourQuest is currently leasing space from the district at $13.25 per square foot. Care After School would be offered a rate of $13.50 per square foot.

"Between the downsized existing tenant and the new tenant, it will pay for itself in a three-year period," Gehring said.

Care After School has committed to a five-year lease, which would cover the costs of the renovation plus any additional costs the district incurs from utilities and janitorial services on the space, he said, addressing a concern raised by board member Marc Schare.

Additionally, the space left vacant after YourQuest's move to the renovated space leaves an opening for a third tenant.

Board members unanimously approved advertising for bids with the knowledge that the final lease will come back before them for approval.

In other business, the district may be purchasing five new buses in time for the 2010-11 school year.

The school board approved advertising for bids on five new buses with the intent of taking advantage of a deal discovered by director of transportation George Sontag.

The buses are one-year lease returns from Illinois and can be purchased at a discount of $15,000 per bus compared to new buses, Sontag said.

"These hold 8-percent more students than our current buses. It's a real win-win to be able to get these."

The new buses would replace one bus that has been sidelined by the state highway patrol, two "carpenter buses" of questionable safety and three buses manufactured between 1990 and 1994, Sontag said. The new buses have all the latest safety features and are much more fuel efficient, he said.

"This is something we need to do in order to transport students safely in Worthington."

If the buses are available, they will be paid for out of funds remaining from the 2006 bond issue.

Board member Charlie Wilson spoke in favor of the purchase.

"In this board member's mind, there's nothing more important, even than learning, than the safety of our students."

Jennifer Best agreed.

"I'll be very glad to see the carpenter buses go bye-bye," Best said.