E. Wilson Morrison Physical Plant Engineering Update Leaves Questions on Path Forward in Most Cost-Effective Manner

After addressing regular meeting agenda items on September 16, the Warren County School Board received an update from Schools Superintendent Troy Wright and Assistant Superintendent for Administration Charles Costner on the ongoing E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School physical plant damage and overall repair-or-replace engineering status report. The County Public Schools Administration and County officials face a combination of potential costs estimated in the millions of dollars and the future safety of students, staff, and administrators who would enter the building originally constructed in 1943.

Dr. Costner opened the work session presentation on E. Wilson Morrison with a nod to Dr. Wright for letting him begin. “The first thing I want to share with you all is protocol to just kind of bring you up to speed on this,” Costner said in opening his segment of the report. He introduced a slideshow of graphics that he and Wright would use to illustrate the situation’s evolution, its impact, and potential future impacts on the public school system.

Assistant Superintendent for Schools Admin Charles Costner, above, and Schools Superintendent Troy Wright presented the EWM status update. Royal Examiner Photos: Roger Bianchini

In opening his segment of the presentation, Dr. Wright said, “We’re going to start with the contingency plan on the structural well-being for our students at E. Wilson, pending the other plan, which is the construction plan. And we need to do both, pending what we decide, which we don’t know yet. So, we’re sort of trying to plan for various situations. So, I  bring a contingency plan for E. Wilson for next school year, 2027, ’28. And there’s feedback on this form, so people are welcome, and several have already provided feedback … So, think of this as plan A to consider.”

Wright continued to cite variables looming. “A more permanent plan pending if E. Wilson is two or three years in the fixing or repairing, this would probably be our best plan … I think it has a lot of benefits for Warren County Public Schools, which I will talk about. Additionally, it does move some things around, and there will be adjustments.

The first photograph shows the contingency plan for moving EWM students in school year 2027/28. The second graphic shows impacted enrollment numbers at various schools hosting EWM students while the 83-year-old school is closed for structural analysis after structural issues surfaced in recent months. Final shot: “Are you getting all this down?” Dr. Wright may be asking the press seated behind him.

“So, we do need to take all those considerations, and all the feedback that comes to me is certainly welcome,” Wright told his Admin department.

Below is the full status report citing the Administration’s recommendations moving forward. As some School Board members noted after the presentation, unanswered questions remain that must be addressed before the School Board makes a final decision on repairing or demolishing E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School. The report suggested subcontracting engineering specialists to provide concrete answers to the remaining questions about structural integrity and repairability at affordable costs compared to demolition and rebuilding.

ATTACHMENT # 1 (Bold in context)

Superintendent’s Recommended Priorities: E. Wilson Elementary

Note to the Board: While these building issues are urgent, I strongly encourage a cautious, meticulous approach to ensure we thoroughly investigate all available options. Because our school division is facing declining enrollment and several existing facilities are operating well under capacity, I urge the Board to prioritize options that leverage current building capacity at little to no additional cost. The following priorities and recommended actions are presented to guide discussion, generate key questions, and establish next steps for upcoming board action.

The WC School Board listens as its superintendent tracks various aspects of the EWM engineering reports and plans movng forward towards a final decision on the fate of the school.

1. Instructional Focus

• Secure a Unified Educational Location: Establish a future educational location for E. Wilson Elementary School under one roof for the 2027–28 school year, ensuring seamless continuity regardless of the primary building’s repair timeline.
• Community Feedback & Board Approval: Solicit Board and community feedback on the proposed relocation plan, targeting a formal School Board vote of approval at the October 7 meeting so staff can immediately begin logistical planning.

2. Building & Structural Focus

• Engineering Quotes & Stabilization: Continue securing at least two engineering-stamped quotes from structural shoring firms for Board consideration and approval at the October 7 meeting.
• Funding Appropriation: After the Board approves a stabilization quote, the superintendent will ask the Board to approve the necessary funding appropriation from the Board of Supervisors to stabilize E. Wilson Elementary.

3. Next Steps Following Building Stabilization

Once the building is officially declared secure by the structural engineer, fire marshal, and the Building Inspector, the administration recommends the following immediate and long-term actions:

• Staff Personal Items: Coordinate safe access for E. Wilson staff to retrieve personal teaching materials and belongings.
• Determine Future Facility Path: Evaluate procurement and long-term facility options, including:

○ Maximize Existing Division Capacity (Zero/Low Cost): Evaluate reassigning students or programs across existing division schools that are currently operating under capacity, minimizing capital expenditure.

○ Request for Proposals (RFP) with Qualifications: Require firms to submit qualifications and firm pricing concurrently.

○ Request for Qualifications (RFQ): Select the most qualified firm first based on expertise, then enter price negotiations (moving to the second-ranked firm if agreement cannot be reached).

○ Implementation & Evaluation of Backup Plan: Authorize the Superintendent to execute the proposed backup plan for E. Wilson in August, collecting operational feedback before taking permanent long-term action.

○ Long-Term Strategic Reuse: Use this interim period to explore alternate facility uses that serve division-wide needs, such as a Career & Technical Education (CTE) hub, Early Childhood/Preschool center, administrative office space, or a multi-use combination.

For additional detail on the board/staff work session discussion, see the WCPS video below.