Letter to the Editor:

Recently there have been questions about the legitimacy of the concerns the district has raised about the 105-year-old middle school. Specifically, there have been allegations that building conditions are being fabricated.

Our district believes in full transparency, so I am sharing a summary of the facilities assessment completed by Estes Construction in January of 2019.

Among the long list of concerns, here are a few of the areas identified as URGENT or REQUIRED:

*ADA compliant elevator

*ADA compliant interior accessibility

*ADA compliant stairway railings

*ADA compliant restrooms

*New fire alarm system, sprinklers, alarms

*New ceilings and flooring

*New roofing and wood flooring in gym

*New heating system

*Secure main entrance

*New parking lot and sidewalk improvements

*New windows

*Asbestos concerns

While we will continue to educate all students at high levels, we want to be clear that we are not trying to mislead the community about conditions at the middle school.

We will continue to look at options for addressing the needs of our middle school students and staff in the near future.

Jared R. Smith, Ph.D.

Superintendent

South Tama County School District

Tama