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Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2007 > October > 30 > Entry
Stivers re-opens: The reporter’s cut
I spent Monday morning at Stivers School for the Arts checking out the rehabbed and expanded 100-year-old building on East Fifth Street. I must say, it is very nice. The original building looked better than I expected.
Overall it was not that different. Same stairs, woodwork and floors, although cleaned up significantly. The big change in the original building is the school library, which is in a huge space that once held the school’s mechanical room and a dance studio. It is very nice.
A big part of the new building was still under construction, especially the main gym (the auxiliary gym was completely done and in use) and a 600-seat theater that looked like it was going to be spectacular. But most of the classrooms were done. The office space and classrooms are wonderfully spacious. So much so that the classrooms in the old portion of the building really do stand out for their cramped space. The modern school is so much more roomy.
The single coolest feature of the new school were the musical practice rooms. These are nine soundproof rooms and they are amazing. Inside you can’t hear a sound from the busy nearby cafeteria. Outside, you can hardly hear the instruments at play. As I was standing there marveling while I watched a student and teacher soundlessly practice one-on-one behind a glass door, another teacher pointed me to the larger room at the end of the hall. I couldn’t believe it. There were 13 kids in there playing string instruments and I couldn’t hear a peep just a few steps away.
I touched on some of these features in the story I wrote, but it was cut down a lot for space reasons. I also was disappointed the paper didn’t use any of the pictures we took at Stivers (they used one from Rosa Parks Elementary.)
So I thought I would post the longer original version of my Stivers story and tomorrow I’ll try to post some pictures from our database. Click the “continued” link for the “reporter’s cut” of the Stivers story.
By Scott Elliott
Staff Writer
DAYTON — Stivers School for the Arts is finally home.
The still unfinished school re-opened for classes Monday at 1313 E. Fifth St. — the site where the school opened in 1908 — two months ahead of schedule.
“It’s going to be one of the best schools in the Midwest,” said Liz Whipps, who heads the arts program. “I’m sure about that.”
Stivers was one of two schools that opened Monday. The other is a completely new school — Rosa Parks Elementary School at 3705 Lori Sue Ave. Students from Cornell Heights Elementary School relocated to that site.
Stivers cost about $35 million for a renovation and expansion project that doubled the size of the building to 209,000 square feet for 850 students in grades 7 to 12. Rosa Parks will house 473 students in 73,000 square feet at a cost of $12.5 million.
It’s been a quite a journey for Stivers. The school was nearly closed and had to be shored up in 2000 to protect against bricks falling from the crumbling facades. After considering moving the school to the former Patterson High School, the district bought the former Julienne High School and moved the students there in 2005.
The early opening for Stivers was designed to save the staff from having to move in during the holiday break in December and it meant some portions of the building are not ready.
So the school is making due as construction continues in about a third of the building. The main gym and a 600-seat theater are still being built, along with some classrooms and other spaces.
Students didn’t seem to mind. The cited bigger classrooms, better bathrooms, a comfortable library and high tech classroom tools among their favorite amenities.
“It’s hard to visualize what is used to be like,” said Tay’lar Johnson, an 11th grader who went to school in the original part of the school in 7th grade.
The library sits in a sunken area of the first floor that used to hold the mechanical room and a dance studio.
“It’s the size of a college library,” Johnson said. “I can’t wait to go check out some books.”
One of the key features for the school’s musicians is a row of soundproof practice rooms for private lessons taught by adjunct staff. On Monday, teacher Lois Ramey instructed an 13-piece orchestra in the largest of the rooms. The music of the string instruments was sealed in and the clatter of the nearby cafeteria was sealed out.
Michael Howard, a theater student, said he can’t wait for performances in the new theater. The acoustics alone will have an impact, he said.
“When the audience can hear us well they pay attention more,” he said. “If they can actually hear clearly what you are saying they are less distracted by the action.”
Permalink | Comments (8) | Categories: Dayton Public Schools, School Construction
Comments
By volunteer
November 13, 2007 5:27 AM | Link to this
Please, don’t forget the fact that most of the money that was used for the constant repairs come from the allumni. If I recall the Board wanted to close Stivers, Because it was becomig a money pit. But if repairs and maint. was preformed as schedulgde. There wouldn’t be a problem. Also take a look at Patterson-Kennedy There are items on the work orders for years and they seem to think it is not an issue till it gets to the point of a health hazored. It took the painter 10 years to show up and repaint the main hall, And they should of hired a company that knows how to clean and refinish the hard wood floors in the historic section. But everything goes to the lowest bidder.By stivers insider
November 1, 2007 10:31 PM | Link to this
To inside stivers.. the crane in the new theater/auditorium will be taken out once they finish what they need to do with it… it still runs, they need the crane to hang lights and other fixtures. The crane will be taken out of a large exit in the back of the new theater, only some of the exit will have to be removed to get it out but it will be put right back.By inside stivers
October 31, 2007 11:48 AM | Link to this
I’ve been through the newly renovated Stivers. More than just a glance, too. Here are two questions I have: 1—How are they getting that big crane that died in the new theater out? (How many dollars will be wasted taking it piece by piece out. I saw no exit large enough. My understanding is that it broke down and they continued around it.) 2—Is it true they did not run the conduit for the security system? so there are cameras or at least globes w/ no real security system installed?By Mary
October 31, 2007 10:11 AM | Link to this
“old prof”, I sometimes understandably get confused on the federal and state funding rules, but I did not think operations and maintenance could come from a construction levy. The way I understand it, the operating funds for instruction and maintenance staff, tranportation, heating and air, extracurricular, textbooks, etc come out of the same general fund financed by “operating” levies.By Larry
October 31, 2007 10:02 AM | Link to this
The new schools should actually save us money on operating expenses. Not only were we blowing dollar bills out the windows with our old energy-wasting buildings, we were throwing maintenance money down big sinkholes as we had to constantly patch up the wornout roofs, walls, floors and heating systems. I’m thankful that administrators, faculty and students can focus more attention on education without the constant distractions of maintenance issues and dreary atmospheres of our older inadequate buildings. The old buildings said to students: “We hope to survive.” These new learning environments say to students: “We expect excellence.”By Oldprof
October 31, 2007 9:36 AM | Link to this
Just so you can rest your head, Mary (I know, no chance of that)—the construction levy had built-in a percentage that should ensure proper maintenance of school buildings—unlike the decades of neglect that began in the 60s. Utilities will likely be not much higher since the renovations are better insulated and with more efficient HVAC than the old buildings. And as for staff—the schools will have what the people of Dayton are willing to pay for, either directly through taxes or via charitable donations (which the tireless Stivers alumni are champions at obtaining).By Mary
October 31, 2007 7:39 AM | Link to this
In addition to how “wow-y” the facilities are, it would be nice if the news articles also informed the public how this is all funded, the implications for continuing “operating funds” to maintain and heat the facilities, etc. Many might like a nice big mansion, but cannot afford to heat it, or the staff to maintain it. The more money spent or needed on operating facilities, the less money is available for instruction staff, textbooks, etc. It seems everyone assumes the taxpayer and voters are willing to ante up the operating funds.By Keith
October 31, 2007 1:30 AM | Link to this
This comment is for the students and staff of Stivers who might be reading this article. On behalf of the St. Anne’s Hill historic district neighborhood, I would like to welcome the you back to your rightful home on East Fifth Street! We are truly excited to see you return to our neighborhood. We look forward to opportunities to partner with Stivers in any way we can. Anyone interested in our community should visit www.stanneshill.org to learn more. Best wishes for a new beginning from St. Anne’s Hill!