Wear and Tear: The Progressive Decay of Schools
This winter a chill ran through Talawanda School, and it wasn’t necessarily from the weather. At the end of the school’s very own 100 hallway there was a new addition to the infrastructure. Some passed by it, oblivious, others noticed the glaring obstruction. What was this new addition you ask?
It was a crack, skittering across the window that borders the 100 side door, desperately clinging on by pieces of duct tape while letting in the chill from outside.
Most were unsure about the origins of the crack. Even teachers who occupy the rooms in the 100 hundred hallway admit to being uncertain when the crack had formed. THS Government teacher Andrew Bomholt estimated that it was at least several weeks old, if not more.
“It would have been right about when we had that really long spell of super duper cold, when we had about three or four days in a row in the negatives and it would only be 12 degrees during the day,” Bomholt explained.
Despite this uncertainty revolving around the crack’s beginnings, not many teachers and administration believe that the crack was the result of foul play. Assistant Principal Molly Merz explained that there was no report of an incident, as is usually the case if something like that were to happen.
The theories reach far and wide. THS staff like Marc Tincher, who teaches psychology and sociology, many believe the cause to be the intense cold during the week of January 22nd, when temperatures dropped to -9 degrees fahrenheit.
“It was warm inside the school and terribly, terribly cold outside. I actually had a window in our rental house that did the same thing on the west side of the building,” he explained.
But if the crack was the result of the cold, why weren’t other windows affected? Could something else be to blame?
It’s worth noting that public buildings have a very particular procedure they must follow when undergoing construction, particularly regarding the awarding of contracts.
According to the General Services Administration, “The award [contract] will go to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation.”
Essentially, when awarding a contract to a construction firm, the supervising administration (in this case the Talawanda School Board) must give the construction contract to the lowest bidding firm.
Could an inadequate construction team have been the ultimate cause of the broken window? Talawanda School District Treasurer, Mike Davis, doesn’t seem to think so.
“The contract is given to the lowest, responsible bidder. Responsible is the key word,” he explained, “and when you look at the Ohio Revised Code and the notion of the lowest, responsible bidder, it’s a pretty effective way to get the lowest possible cost at the highest possible quality for public buildings.”
Even if the window is not a sign of poor construction, a more in-depth view of this issue can be seen very close to home. Bogan Elementary School, built in 2006 was built by the same construction firm that built Talawanda High School. It’s possible that Bogan’s condition could provide insight as to how THS itself will age with time.
Suzannah Marshall, a teacher at Bogan Elementary School, said she has noticed some effects of aging within the walls of Bogan Elementary, “You see the wear and tear, with the walls and the ceiling lights, but that’s not necessarily a problem with the effectiveness of the building.
“I do know that in another teacher’s room there’s a faucet that doesn’t work well and blinds that haven’t worked since the first week she was in the school. I think it may have been the quality of care while they were building the school,” she explained.
Despite these issues, Marshall said she was very fortunate to work at Bogan. Compared to Marshall Elementary where she taught previously, she said the facilities are much cleaner and up to date.
Even if Bogan has experienced “wear and tear”, the overall outlook of the building remains to be a positive one. Teresa Woodin, principal of Bogan Elementary, explained that Bogan continues to receive compliments from the parents of incoming students and those looking into joining Talawanda School District, even after being open for 8 years.
Looking at the state of Bogan, it seems a broken window isn’t necessarily a bad precursor for Talawanda High School itself. Much like faulty blinds or a defective faucet, the broken window, whatever its cause, might simply be the cause of something we all are susceptible to: age.
Most administrators aren’t too worried about the implications of the window, and has a similar outlook as those at Bogan. Merz explained that it’s almost something to be expected.”I think there’s always growing pains when you have a new building,” she said.
What matters now is that the window is fixed and the fluctuations of Ohio weather can no longer seep through the crack. Regardless of it’s cause, and despite the mystery still surrounding it’s origin, the perplexing crack will now only be a thing of the past.
