The plans for the Athens City School District to either renovate the middle school facility or construct a new one will be discussed further at the regular school board meeting on April 29.

Fanning and Howey Associates of Dublin, the architectural firm chosen by the school board to develop a plan for the project, is working on a feasibility study, said Athens City School Board President Roger Watson. This study will be presented to the board members and the interested public at the end of the month.

The study addresses the two points of either renovating the present facility on West State Street or building a new facility at another location yet to be determined.

There are three things that need to be considered with the project, Watson said.

The first item to consider is if the project actually can be done. Then, the district must consider the cost of the project and the time element involved.

The original facility was built in 1922 and was added onto in 1939 and 1954 to make room for new facilities such as a band room, art room and gym, said Athens Middle School Principal Paul Grippa.

The district has many things to consider with the project, Grippa said.

"Right now we have a very well-designed building with a lot of useful and interesting features," he said.

Despite the original building design being efficient, there are several structural problems that need to be examined.

Upgrading for the heating system is needed, as well as electrical, plumbing and ventilation repairs.

"Some of these things are old and need to be dealt with," Grippa said.

Other problems are inadequate classrooms, parking and athletic facilities, said Watson. Also, there are traffic and bussing problems because busses are sent to both the middle school and the high school at the same time.

The ultimate decision whether the project will be pursued will be left in the hands of the taxpayers in Athens, Watson said.

If the board decides to go ahead with one of the two options for the construction, the issue will go before the voters in the fall as a bond issue, he said.