Kristin Harty Barkley
CUMBERLAND — Four of five secondary schools in the Cumberland area need major improvements in order to continue to operate in the next decade, according to a team of experts hired to help the county configure future classrooms.
A group of architects and engineers recently toured the buildings — including Fort Hill and Allegany high schools, the Center for Career and Technical Education and Washington and Braddock middle schools — as part of the “Utilization Study of Cumberland Secondary Schools” being conducted by Eperitus, a Richmond, Va., firm.
Fort Hill High School was the only school not in dire straits, Superintendent David Cox told the Allegany County Board of Education Wednesday night.
“The most critical improvements are in the area of HVAC, electrical and ADA,” said Cox, adding that the team assessed needs in a number of categories, including structural, plumbing and technology. HVAC refers to heating and cooling systems, and ADA stands for Americans with Disabilities Act.
“Their note is that Fort Hill is in good shape, and the renovation done there could serve as a model for other schools,” said Cox, who presented preliminary information to the board Wednesday night.
A representative of Eperitus, originally scheduled to give the presentation, wasn’t able to attend the meeting, which was rescheduled from Tuesday to accommodate the funeral of board member Fred Sloan, who passed away last week.
The board and visitors observed a moment of silence to honor Sloan at both the 5 p.m. work session and the 7 p.m. business meeting.
“I didn’t know him that long, but I felt like I knew him a lifetime,” said board member Tom Striplin, who with other members reflected on Sloan’s contributions prior to the moment of silence.
A teacher and administrator in Allegany County for more than 30 years, Sloan was a past mayor of Lonaconing and a lay minister at Lonaconing Episcopal Church. He died Dec. 3 at Johns Hopkins Hospital after a lengthy illness. He was 64.
Mike Llewellyn, who was appointed to the board in September following the July death of board president Jane Dawson, said Sloan will be missed.
“Fred’s passing leaves a huge hole in that community,” said Llewellyn, who grew up in Georges Creek. “That was evidenced by the turnout to the funeral yesterday. It literally filled the church and then out onto the street.”
Allegany County Commissioner Dale Lewis, who is a liaison to the board, said he knew Sloan for more than 40 years.
“He was a great family man,” Lewis said. “... He was truly an example to follow.”
The remainder of Sloan’s term will be completed by an appointee of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s choosing.
Meanwhile, the board is in the beginning stages of studying the Cumberland’s secondary schools, with Cox reporting preliminary enrollment figures Wednesday night.
With 8,698 students today, enrollment is projected to decline by about 4 percent to 8,360 in 2019, Cox said, quoting figures compiled by Eperitus. Both Fort Hill and Allegany high schools are expected to retain more than 700 students, Cox said.
“Although they see the enrollment continuing to decline, it appears that it will slow down in the latter part of the 10-year period through 2019,” Cox said. “So we will continue to lose students, but not at the same rate we have.”
The study, which was commissioned to help the county reconfigure its classrooms in the face of steadily declining enrollment and dilapidating buildings, is expected to be completed in April.
A Community Resource Committee comprising students, parents, teachers, and community members, is meeting regularly to come up with recommendations. The meetings, which are public, will include opportunities for residents to voice their opinions in early spring. The next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 25.
Contact Kristin Harty Barkley at kharty@times-news.com.
