Information event
Too expensive, too tight a schedule – some school residents criticize plans for the school building expansion in Sommeri
The information event about the school building expansion in Sommeri was met with great interest. The ambitious schedule for the new building, the term “supplementary loan” and the costs in general were criticized – but in the end there was also support for the school authorities.
“Almost as many people as at the school community meeting,” says school president Michael Stäheli about the march.
Image: Manuel Nagel
School president Michael Stäheli-Engel and his deputy Samuel Oberholzer, who is also responsible for the construction projects in the Amriswil-Hefenhofen-Sommeri elementary school community, had a difficult time in the Sommeri gymnasium on Tuesday evening, but they were well prepared. There were numerous questions and critical comments from the well-filled gymnasium about the planned new expansion of the Sommeri school building.
The first criticism was right at the beginning for the word “additional loan”. The school community would immediately see red if they just read this word, said Karl Spiess, who was on the Amriswil school board for 16 years before the VSG was formed, most recently as senior class president. Strategically, that was a mistake, he said of the current leadership duo.
Samuel Oberholzer, Vice President of the Amriswil-Hefenhofen-Sommeri elementary school community.
Image: Manuel Nagel
Samuel Oberholzer replied that it had to be formally referred to as a supplementary loan because in a first step only 100,000 francs were included in the budget for the project planning in order to be able to determine the exact costs for the entire project. But the vice president was also visibly unhappy with this term.
School citizens criticized the costs
Cost was a big topic that evening. Not only the amount of the project planning, but also the amount of the planned expansion of 13 million francs was thrown around again and again. School President Stäheli had to explain several times that this 13 million was the upper limit, but for the maximum variant with six classrooms and all associated ancillary rooms such as auditoriums, group rooms, sanitary facilities, teachers’ rooms and so on. Sommeri would now only need four new rooms. Now they want to clarify whether school space reserves should be created.
Ralph Brunner thought the project’s ambitious schedule was too ambitious. There are too many uncertainties. He called for a more thorough clarification and, if necessary, a step back. The loss of part of the existing lawn also came up again, which would have an impact on the gymnastics club. Another school resident asked whether the historic schoolhouse on the street could be renovated instead of a new building, but Stäheli made it clear that this would be very expensive and that it would not provide the necessary space. All of this has already been clarified.
School president Michael Stäheli-Engel encourages school residents to exercise their democratic rights.
Image: Manuel Nagel
The school president also took the critical votes as an opportunity to remind school residents of their democratic rights. He said: “We members of the authorities were elected so that we could make the best possible decisions for the school.” But if someone has the feeling that there are even better solutions, that person should get involved and participate, for example by submitting a proposal at the school community meeting.
Flaming appeal from the mayor
But – Michael Stäheli also made this clear – time is running out and Sommeri will need the new school premises soon. Of course, you can reject the project planning loan, or later the construction loan. However, this has corresponding consequences and one should be aware of that. At best, the summer children would have to be educated in a temporary arrangement or even at another school location until the new building is built.
Priska Rechsteiner, the mayor of Sommeri, is behind the project and praises the cooperation with the school authorities.
Image: Manuel Nagel
All of this ultimately prompted Summer mayor Priska Rechsteiner to make a fiery appeal. That evening it was all about costs and other interests, but not about those for whom the school building was being built – “for our children here in Sommeri”. She praised the good cooperation with the school authorities and called for a yes to the loan.
Notice
On March 3rd, the school residents of the Amriswil-Hefenhofen-Sommeri elementary school community approved a supplementary loan of 785,400 francs for the project planning of the school building extension in Sommeri.
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2024-02-14 22:06:23
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