NEW BOSTON - The New Boston Schools Building Committee met Monday evening in the high school library to discuss the district's master facilities plan for building a new K-12 facility.

Plans were announced last summer New Boston would pursue a new school building, contingent upon voter approval, with assistance from new funding regulations enacted by Ohio School Facilities Commission. These new regulations already have helped Clay Local School District pass its new building initiative, by supplying 81 percent of the total cost. Voters in the March election responded overwhelmingly to the school's plan, voting nearly 3-to-1 in favor. Now many in New Boston - similar in size to Clay - hope to recapture that success for their own students.

New Boston superintendent Mike Staggs received a letter from OSFC on May 2, informing him of the commission's intent to provide funding for a new school building in New Boston, but the dollar amount has not yet been determined. Staggs said the building committee must approve its plan to submit to New Boston School Board during its next scheduled meeting on June 26. The board then needs to approve the plan before it can be submitted for state consideration during the July meeting of the OSFC.

If the plan is state approved, it then will be left in the hands of November voters either to pass or fail.

Several possible sites were discussed during the meeting, including the former Wal-Mart shopping center site, the lake bottoms at Milbrook Park, existing school locations at Glenwood and Stanton avenues, and other possible sites which are not yet formally being considered.

Among the issues being considered by the building committee, one of the most pressing issues is the limited availability of space within the village of New Boston. Staggs has, in the past, indicated his intention to build on a site that would have the least possible disruption on residential and business neighborhoods.

One possible feature of the new school design could be a recreational center, providing various programs and activities open to the general public, and away from student classrooms.

During the meeting, the committee heard comments from Dennis Paben and Charles Nelson, of Legat & Kingscott -