Allison Danford, Kate Fletcher, Sophia Cadaret, Aubriana Campos
eSomethin Staff
People think very highly of Perrysburg—some even nicknaming it “Perfectsburg.” Perrysburg High School encompasses this idea in academics, athletics, and the building itself. However, the outdoor areas of PHS could use some love.
The main entrance is an obstacle course, forcing students to navigate haphazardly placed picnic tables, trash bins, and benches. You notice that the big concrete planters are growing weeds instead of flowers. As much as Perrysburg takes pride in our school, the grounds do not reflect it.
At lunch time, seniors are given the opportunity to eat outside, but, as our eSomethin’ team observed, all but one table were empty.
Seniors Josh Cook, Andrew Stewart, Harshini Kanumilli, Julien Briscoe, and Elijah Morris, regularly eat lunch outside. They agree that there could be improvement for the exterior grounds.
Cook mentioned, “I know other people in different lunches that eat outside, too.”
Kanumilli said that their group likes lunch outside because it is quieter than in the commons.
Cook said he wants a better designated place for outside lunch. This could be easily improved by moving the tables to a more permanent area or adding umbrellas to provide shade.
These simple improvements will encourage students to spend more time outdoors, while also improving the appearance of Perrysburg Schools.
The issue is, would the school want to pay for all of this?
We reached out to Jason Bloomer, the Director of Maintenance for Perrysburg Schools. Bloomer described the school’s budget for maintenance: $350,000 for contracted services, and $450,000 in supplies. Over the summer, that budget was used to replace roofing at the Junior High School, as well as boilers, chillers, a sprinkler system at the High School, and heating & cooling in the Board of Education building.
“The budget for grounds is $40,000 and the rest goes to maintenance supplies and repairs,” Bloomer said.
Bloomer also mentioned how during one of his inspections, he found that $57,000 was needed to replace the control pump for a sprinkler system.
The upcoming school levy this November, if approved, would not increase this budget, so any remaining funds available need to be used sparingly.
Saadiyah McElya, a senior member of the Gardening Club, said that it would be possible for club members to participate in planting the empty flower pots outside.
Aaron Cookson, PHS Principal, emphasized his support in the idea, and encouraged further communication if financial assistance was necessary.
With that being said, it’s just a matter of time before actions are taken to brighten up the exterior grounds of Perrysburg High School, so keep your eyes out—good things are coming!
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