Students at Green Local Schools have a little more room to move this week, as the district opens up new modular units to serve overcrowded school buildings. The solution will be, hopefully, only a temporary one as the district begins its plans to ask voters to support new facilities.

It all started in April after the school discovered major damages to the walls inside its primary school — which had been open since the 1920s, according to Green Superintendent Ron Lindsey. Structural engineers said that part of the building was unsafe, and the district decided to close the building for the safety of its students. About 200 students from pre-K through second grade were moved from the primary school building to elementary.

The added population in the elementary building caused the elementary library to close.

“We were putting kids in any nook and cranny we could find,” Lindsey said.

As the new school year began, the district knew they needed a better solution, and purchased five modular units that have been bolted together to create four additional classrooms, and separate restrooms from students and staff. Lindsey said the units cost about $160,000.

“We are taking a loan over five-years and it really will be paid back on what we set aside for maintenance, but there will be some general fund money involved,” he said.

Lindsey said the modular classrooms are actually nicer and larger than the classrooms in the older school building. Now that students have a place to go, the elementary library will re-open soon.

Last year, Wheelersburg opened a new K-12 school building, and New Boston and Clay both have been approved for similar facilities. Despite its crumbling buildings, Green is currently the only public school district in Scioto County without either new facilities, or plans to build them.

“New Boston and Clay were able to become part of the school facilities program because the legislators created a change in the law that was to their benefit. That law change was not to our benefit, so we still are under the old rules which really penalize us because of some of the industrial development here and the land value,” Lindsey said.

He explained that the state formula totals the value of all the property in the school district and divides it by the number of students.

“We are a small number of students, and we have some... I’d almost call it inflated land values because of some of the industrial development. Compared to other communities around here, we then have a higher valuation per pupil,” Lindsey said.

He said if the district were approved for the Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC) program, the local community would still be asked to pay 54 percent of the building cost. He’s hopeful that new discussions will change that amount and allow the district to ask voters for much less.

“In the meantime, the school board has directed the treasurer and I to start the process, even thought we’re going to pay 54 percent, to put it in front of the voters for a bond issue,” Lindsey said.

The first step is applying to the OSFC program. If selected, the school could put the issue on the ballot during a future election.

Until then, Lindsey praised the district and the teachers for doing very well under difficult circumstances.

RYAN SCOTT OTTNEY can be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 235, or e-mail pdtwriter@ryanscottottney.com.