Urbana School Board Examines Plans for King School Improvements

The Urbana School Board wants to focus its priorities before moving forward with proposed improvements for King Elementary School.

At a special school board meeting Tuesday night, Board President John Dimit said he had sticker shock when he learned of the projected seven-point-five million dollar price tag for all of the requested improvements. He asked architects and a steering committee studying the issue to set some priorities.

"I'm just asking you to go back and take a look at it and really determine what's important", explained Dimit. "And now I want somebody to think about, 'Oh my God, this is eight million dollars.'"

The proposed improvements are based on district goals for all schools and specific criteria for King Elementary. Some of proposed improvements include air conditioning, a new multi-purpose room, and separate parent and bus drop-off sites.

The Steering Committee will bring back a revised plan at an upcoming meeting. Dimit says they need to move quickly in order to begin work on the King school improvements by this fall.