OA Schools dedicate new district offices

The Owego Apalachin (OA) district was host to a dedication ceremony of the new district offices and administration building on Wednesday, June 28. The ceremony took place in front of the building’s main entrance located at 5 Sheldon Guile Blvd. in Owego. 

In 2014, and after approximately two years of negotiations, the Owego Apalachin School District received $23 million in state and federal funding to build new administrative and maintenance facilities. The building replaces the offices on Talcott Street that were damaged by severe flooding in 2011.

The new building, designed by Highland and

Associates, has offices for about 15 employees, and is located on the east side of Sheldon Guile Boulevard. The maintenance facility is north of the high school and Huntington Creek.

For its construction, the Federal Emergency Management Agency was expected to pay for 75 percent of the $23.3 million construction project, and the state was to pick up the remaining 25 percent of the cost.

The staff from OA’s administration stayed in classrooms and trailers until the construction of the building was complete in 2016. According to former OA Associate Superintendent, Bernie Dolan, who attended the dedication ceremony on Wednesday, they were able to move into the new building in July of last year.

The former OA Superintendent, William Russell, was also at the dedication ceremony on Wednesday. Russell, who is now retired, wanted to attend and view the results of the hard work his administration performed to gain the funding necessary to rebuild following the flooding in 2011.

The district’s regular Board of Education meeting followed the brief dedication ceremony on Wednesday. Lee Dunham and Becky Goodrich served in their final meeting as members of the Board of Education, and were honored for their service.