Ohio University's $203,000 purchase of a former elementary school will provide practical training for childhood development and early childhood education students at the OU Southern campus next fall.
The purchase of the former Rock Hill Elementary School in Lawrence County was approved by the Ohio Controlling Board on Jan. 23, with State Rep. Tom Raga, R-Mason, objecting, according to the Controlling Board minutes.
Local funding from the campus was used to purchase the building and land, and $447,950 of state capitol funding and a $300,000 Appalachian Regional Commission grant will cover renovations, said Lynette Clouse, project manager and interior designer. Renovations include asbestos removal and electrical work, she said.
The project cost totals about $1 million, with facilities projected to be fully operational by Fall 2007, Evans said.
Like many universities, OU has a deferred maintenance backlog, meaning current physical assets needing repair, Raga said. Universities should refurbish existing buildings before acquiring new assets, he said. A leaky roof is an example, said Ron James, administrative assistant for the Ohio Board of Regents.
OU Southern received a $300,000 grant for a childcare facility, which will provide childcare in the area and benefit OU Southern students, said Richard Shultz, director of Planning and Implementation.
Childhood development and early childhood education students will work with professional staff to gain practical experience and internships, as only one childcare facility in the area meets student placement requirements, said Dan Evans, executive dean of OU Southern.
OU Southern is partnering with the Ironton-Lawrence County Area Community Action Organization to provide a Head Start program, an educational and social development program aimed primarily at low-income participants, Evans said.
Our students then have a chance to work hand-in-hand with people who are child care professionals
he said. It makes them more employable when they graduate.
A childcare center and after-hours babysitting service will also be located in the building, Evans said, which will benefit students with children who need childcare in the evening after traditional daycare center hours.
OU Southern employees and students will benefit from the facility as well as community members, Evans said. Costs will probably be set on a sliding scale, with students on financial aid probably paying less than faculty or staff members for example, he said.
We obviously want to make it affordable for our students he said.
Revenue generated by the center will go toward the building's operating costs, Evans said. OU Southern will pay student employees, but Head Start will pay its professionals. There will be joint responsibility for the building, but Head Start will handle daily operations, he said.
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