Building plans scrutinized

June 08--It's been two weeks since residents of Hoven woke up to find flames ravaging their high school -- but already the district is moving forward, hiring a new superintendent and beginning the rebuilding process.

Not ready to co-op with another school district and fortified with a comprehensive insurance policy, Hoven school officials are looking to rebuild and are aiming to break ground on a new building to house the seventh-graders through seniors as soon as possible.

Until that ribbon cutting takes place, approximately 50 students will need to find a home for at least the next school year. There are a little more than 100 students who are expected to attend Hoven public schools this fall, approximately half of which will be displaced.

There are two options being investigated, according to Mark Weber, president of the Hoven School Board. One is to use the former Holy Infant Hospital building, located across the street from the elementary school. The other would be to use portable classrooms until the new building is ready.

"It has a lot of potential," said Weber of the hospital building. "It's been looked at a few times, and we're going to look at it some more. It does have a lot of potential not only for classrooms, but for offices, for a lab downstairs with eyewash stations. But we've had offers for these portables that you can set up. It's not been decided as of yet."

St. Anthony's Church, which is near the hospital, has offered its kitchen to be used as a cafeteria.

Brandishing a new-replacement cost insurance policy that covers everything, the board will be able to rebuild a permanent school and set up a temporary school, as well as clean any restorable items.

"The board was very good about doing that, so that's why we're in the shape we're in," Weber said. "Replacement cost means that they'll replace it at today's standards, today's specs, at whatever cost it will be at."

The level of coverage at the school is encouraging to community members.

"I'm glad to hear that the board has been doing their job and has the insurance coverage that we should have had. I'm glad to see that everybody is in favor of getting this place up and running again," said Dave Von Wald, whose wife, Sheila, recently retired after teaching at both buildings for more than 30 years. "It's the heart of the town, and you've got to keep working with that in mind."

Making school feel as normal as possible come Aug. 25 -- no matter where it may happen -- is the first goal of incoming superintendent Pat Jones.

"This trauma and tragedy that has taken place can only be gotten through if we do everything we can to make it work for the kids," said Jones, who starts his new job Monday.

Jones, who was confirmed as superintendent and principal of both the elementary and high school on June 2, said he is excited to lead the rebuilding efforts.

"It's going to be a lot of work. For every million questions, there's one answer right now," said Jones, explaining that he is up to the challenge. "When something like this happens, you have to make a choice as person, as an educator, as an administrator. You either run away and hide from it because it's scary and overwhelming, or you embrace it, embrace the challenge, embrace the opportunity to really make a difference."

He has some experience with school rebuilding efforts. As a superintendent in Lennox, he helped complete a building project, picking out contractors and making design decisions.

"I did everything up to the point where they put the shovel into the ground," Jones said.

Plankinton reconstruction

After an explosion in Plankinton at the turn of the century destroyed much of the city's kindergarten through senior school and killed the school's superintendent at the time, Dave Grode, and a custodian, Pat Phillips, that city supported a bond to rebuild.

Elementary principal LeeAnn Nussbaum started shortly after the decision making, which was done by committee, was complete, but oversaw the process from groundbreaking to ribbon cutting.

"We had a very, very supportive community," Nussbaum said. "We take it one day at a time. There's empathy for what was lost, but there's that hope of moving forward."

Plankinton used portable classrooms during its rebuilding process.

"I wish them all the luck and that they can move things forward in a positive way," Nussbaum said.

Building assessment

The Hoven fire, which is believed to have begun in the attic above the gym, destroyed most of the school building, including the oldest portion, which was built in 1940, and additions that were added in 1962 and 1974, Weber said. An addition that was constructed in 1995 was not damaged enough to be razed, but will have to be gutted and remodeled.

"They take it right down to the steel studs again," Weber said. "They re-insulate it, they rewire it, they basically redo the whole building."

Engineers and insurance adjustors are working to assess the structural and financial loss from the Memorial Day weekend fire.

"At the end of the day, they have to put that building back into service at what square footage we had and at today's codes, up-to-date, everything," Weber said. "We don't know where we're going from here because we don't have all the blanks filled in yet. Of course, we're going to have a lot of input from everyone."

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