Ames School Board Votes to Build New School at Site of Fellows Elementary

A new would be built on its current location according to a plan approved Monday by the Ames school board on a 6 to 1 vote.

The school board has been considering whether to build a new school on the same site or build on land owned by the school district on George Washington Carver Avenue.

Board member Lucas Deardorff, who voted against the measure, said when looking at the plan objectively, placing the school at the Carver location would be better because the current Fellows location is too close to Meeker Elementary and because the 45-year-old building could be used as a swing space while other schools in the district are under construction.

The plan approved by the board calls for replacing three elementary schools —Meeker, Fellows and Edwards — and renovating Mitchell and Sawyer elementary schools.

The board vote came after a long meeting that began with four people who asked the board to leave Fellows Elementary where it is now. And resident Rick Hansen told the board that they shouldn't make a decision at all.

“The decision on the location of Fellows should not be made tonight,” he said.

Shortly after the failed September bond referendum, the board discussed surveying the Fellows neighborhood residents to gather input, he said.

“I am unaware of any effort to gather input from the Fellows neighborhood, except for a very small focus group as stated in the Ames Tribune, to which very few people had any knowledge that they were even gathering,” Hansen said.

Other people such as Kathy Vannoy said they liked the Fellows location because of its closeness to  and the Northcrest Retirement Community, which has allowed students opportunities that they wouldn't have at the Carver site in the Somerset area.

The school has benefited from having Northcrest reading buddies and using the high school's auditorium, she said. She also liked the neighborhood mix around the Fellows school.

“The proposed site at Somerset doesn't offer any of these advantages,” she said.

The long-range facilities plan will go to a committee that has not yet been selected. The committee would vet the plan and could suggest that the board make changes including the location of Fellows Elementary School.

Board member Mike Espeset reminded people that this plan, Fellows location included, was not final.

“This is how it starts, not how it ends. Make your voice heard,” he said.

Where do you think Fellows Elementary School should be?