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COLUMBIANA -- The city school district is hoping to give upperclassmen a chance to enjoy prom this year, and are also looking at having an outdoor graduation ceremony.
District officials have lamented the fact that upperclassmen weren't able to enjoy the formal dance or normal graduation ceremony last year as a result of the pandemic, so they are considering what can be done this year bring some type of normalcy back for students.
Students have struggled with some of the changes over the last year that schools across the nation have had to embrace in order to avoid a large spread of the Coronavirus, and the Columbiana Board of Education and school staff want to do what they can to increase student morale while adhering to social distancing guidelines.
Exactly what a prom would look like this year is yet to be determined, but Superintendent Don Mook said the district is considering hosting an outdoor graduation ceremony for seniors this year.
The graduation ceremony has been held outdoors in the past as well, but this ceremony would likely have some differences.
Despite seniors not being able to graduate in person last year, some board members said they heard positive feedback from students about the virtual graduation ceremony.
Board member Scott Caron said that although students were disappointed they couldn't have a normal graduation, some were still pleased with what they were able to do, and that the virtual ceremony went off well.
In other matters, Mook said the district will need to seriously consider repairing the track at the Ward Athletic complex.
"We have put this off for two years ... we are getting to that point at which it needs addressed," he said.
He added that he plans to get cost estimates for the work sometime this summer. He believes the work could cost upwards of $20,000, although he was quick to point out that a complete replacement of the truck would be half-a-million dollars or more.
The district also needs to address its heating system, which is in need of a new heating unit at the gymnasium. The district currently has an insurance claim out on one boiler that stopped operating as well, leaving the district with one boiler in service at the high school, he added. The second boiler is set to be installed soon.
Mook is also not satisfied with the heating and cooling system that was installed in 2012 at the elementary school addition.
"That unit seems to have never worked right from the outset. We are battling with Gardiner Trane to correct that issue over and over," he said.
Mook added that one cost savings in the long run is to not use the system for heat and put in a new heating system.
He said the district has spent $50,000 in repairs on the unit since 2012.