Jamestown Area School Board's $7.2 million plan to add classrooms and a sports complex at the high school has run up against some opposition: The Jamestown Area Concerned Taxpayers.

The group formed in April after the board proposed the renovation plan and recently stated its position publicly.

"The new gymnasium, weight room, wrestling room, locker rooms and associated lobbies and rest rooms (the athletic complex) with a cost of approximately $2.5 million should not be included in the project plan and should be eliminated from any school board action," the group said in a news release.

"It just is not in the interest of academic progress for our students to have a gym," spokesman Doug McElhaney said.

"With the costs running $2.5 million, and over 55 percent of our community 55 years of age and older, and of low to moderate income, I am not sure how we can afford to pay this project off in the long run," he said.

"We have lost the high-paying manufacturing jobs in this area and the economy is still unstable," he said. "I don't want to see our area go into debt like so many others have. We understand things like wiring and classrooms are necessary for safety and academic progress. We are not against the whole project, but we do feel any improvements the school board makes should relate to academic progress of our students," he said.

The school board thinks differently.

"Some of their (Jamestown Area Concerned Taxpayers') information is just wrong," said Guy Brooks, board president.

Brooks said the athletic complex is expected to cost $1.5 million and will "serve academic needs."

Brooks said the existing gymnasium is used for more than just athletics.

"The drama club uses that facility for their yearly plays," he said. "The gym also is used for intramural athletics for all students. The primary use of the gym is athletics, but we use it to teach all of our students teamwork and sportsmanship."

"It is a statistical fact that students participating in athletics also do better in their academics than students who don't," Brooks said. "So, if your argument is to better the academics at our schools, that is exactly what we are doing."

McElhaney said a tax increase approved last month by the board supports the group's position.

According to the school board, the increase for Mercer County residents in the district was 3.14 mills -- about 7 percent -- raising the total to 49.2 mills. Crawford County residents in the district will also see an increase to 35.41 mills, a 2.23 mill -- about 7 percent -- increase.

"We cannot afford these continued increases," McElhaney said. "Taxes have gone up over 14 percent in the past two years alone. We (the taxpayers group) have calculated projected costs and this community is looking at a 6-percent-a-year increase for the first seven years of this project," he said.

McElhaney said his calculations include a compounding interest for the district's existing debt.

Following the school board meeting, McElhaney said the two sides felt the same way, but had two solutions for the
problem.

"Kids are what matter," McElhaney said. "That is the bottom line and we all agree with that."

McElhaney said he thinks the school board wants to show they care with a gym and mulitmedia center and the taxpayer group does not think that is necessary.

Jamestown Area Concerned Taxpayers will hold a public meeting at 7 p.m. Sunday, June 30, at the Fireman's Banquet Hall at the Fireman's Club, 501 Denver St., Jamestown. The school board was invited to the meeting, but formally declined the invitation as a board Monday. Brooks said individual members were welcome to attend on their own.