SHADYSIDE — Residents of the Shadyside Local School District expressed reservations about construction of a new school building Thursday, packing the administrative office during a board of education meeting.

The plan is to tear down Leona Middle School to make way for a kindergarten through 12th grade complex.

Third- and fourth-graders would attend Jefferson Avenue Elementary while fifth- and sixth-graders would go to the high school, separated from the high school students.

Preschoolers would move to the educational building at St. Mary Church.

Superintendent John Haswell answered questions posed by resident John Ney in a letter. Ney was the primary speaker, but said many others share his concerns about how the project will be funded.

“Tearing down Leona prior to having some sort of idea how we’re going to fund a new school makes us very concerned,” he said. “Do we have a master plan?”

Haswell said the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission has a plan for how much square footage can be built based on enrollment. The final plan for the project will involve collecting input from the community for a year or more, and the information will be available on the district’s website.

He said renovating buildings from as early as 1932, with the newest building dating from 1965, is not viable. He said there are currently 702 students enrolled in the district and a sufficient structure could be constructed on Leona’s “imprint.”

Haswell said the price is “locked in” with a state share of 75 percent as of 2020 and the projected total cost is $53 million. Should it be necessary to pass a local levy, Shadyside would be responsible for raising 25 percent of the funding.

In answer to another question from Ney, Haswell said it is necessary to demolish the middle school, since the OFCC requires a discreet portion to be done to lock in the state share of 75 percent.

“Leona made the most sense for the simple fact that it’s going to be clearing the way for when we are eligible for our funding in the future, that we have a space to build it on,” Haswell said.

He said it has not been determined when the building would be razed. He said there is potential legislation such as Ohio House Bill 733, or the Accelerated Appalachian School Building Assistance Program, to expedite the process.

“It’s guaranteed. Sooner or later we will get the 75 percent. What I can’t do right now is look at every one of you and say exactly when that time is,” he said. “The OFCC is allocated $600 million a year to do a certain amount of projects, and it all depends on who’s up and who passes their levies and who gets in line for the money. So I can’t tell you today: ‘Next year, we’re going to be in line for our state funding.’ What I can tell you is that we will always be eligible for the 75 percent state share.”

In answer to another guest’s question, Haswell said should the community not pass a levy, the district has a $30 million enterprise zone agreement with PTT Global Chemical, which has for several years been considering the construction of an ethane cracker plant at Dilles Bottom along Ohio 7. Haswell said the company has invested in the area — including a donation of $1 million for the discreet portion of the project — and JobsOhio has assured him the property will be utilized by someone, which will lead to tax benefits for the district.

Ney said there are too many uncertainties.

“It just amazes me the state would expect you to tear down a perfectly good school when we might be sitting like this for five to six years,” he said.

“Your ‘perfectly good school’ is breaking constantly,” Haswell said.

“It’s the best we’ve got,” Ney replied.

Other guests who did not identify themselves after the meeting said the remaining buildings would not be sufficient to hold the students.

Ney also raised concerns that inflation would further increase the total cost of construction in coming years.

Board member Joel Traylor voiced support for the project.

“Sometimes with investment — which is what this is, it’s an investment in our kids, it’s an investment in our community — there is some level of risk, and it’s reasonable risk in light of the return,” he said.

Haswell apologized to attendees and left the meeting early to attend services following a death in his family, but he said he would be available to answer more questions and at greater length during an upcoming public meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. April 12 in the high school auditorium.

Jayson Johnson, a father of four students and a fifth child who will attend, plans to be at the public meeting. He also looks forward to seeing the information as it is released on the school’s website.

“The community can be behind this project, but there seems to be a lot more questions and answers, and we just need to get things out into the light of day,” he said. “The concerns are the timing and kind of the unknowns. You’re taking a building down, and you’re not quite sure what the next step is or when that next step’s going to happen. One of our questions is, is taking that building down the only option? Is that something that has to happen?”

In other matters, the board noted Haswell has announced his intention to retire effective July 31 and will seek to be rehired in the same position. Middle School Principal Synthia Caldwell is also retiring effective June 30 and will also seek rehiring in the same position.

Board members had no further comment at this time, but said the matter would be acted on during the April board meeting. The next regular meeting had been set for April 20, but the board rescheduled it for noon April 13.