Submitted photo / Canfield schools This rendering shows the proposed K-4 building to be built on Hilltop property in Canfield.

CANFIELD — Canfield Superintendent Joe Knoll shared artist renderings of what new school buildings could look like.

Knoll said Canfield faces three challenges. These include safety and security, costly repairs of aging buildings and limited educational spaces.

“At the end of the day, we have checked all three of these challenges with the master plan,” Knoll said.

As for the proposed new schools and bond levy to pay for them, Knoll said he would like to have a community informational meeting sometime in October. It would involve a panel that could address any questions or concerns, he said.

Canfield schools in November are seeking a 37-year bond issue for school buildings totaling $104,955,000.

The plan includes building a new K-4 elementary school at the Hilltop school site, a new grades 5-8 middle school at the Canfield Village Middle School site, renovations to the high school and the abatement of the C.H. Campbell building.

The school board offices would be moved to the former Hilltop school building, and a second gym would be built at the middle school after the move.

The middle school is more than 100 years old.

MIDDLE MESS

While Knoll presented to the board of education and those in attendance Wednesday a lot of positives the new schools would bring, he also shared a concerning story of an incident at Canfield Village Middle School two years ago.

Knoll told the story from teacher Ruthanne Altiero, who had returned to school after a break only to discover tiles had fallen in her classroom. She stated the tiles fell with heavy chunks of plaster, allowing water to destroy books and classroom furniture. No children were in the room at the time, and the custodians who cleaned up the mess nearly were struck when a large piece of plaster fell onto the desk.

The incident saw Altiero’s class relocated to another room — that displaced two teachers to other rooms. The domino effect of the temporary relocations impacted students for the remainder of the school year.

Knoll pointed out the situation illustrates problems Canfield faces with the aging building.

He said the new schools would solve the safety issues for years to come as well as meet the Americans with Disabilities Act-compliance requirements. He said the present schools don’t meet ADA requirements.