A few plaques that were once placed on Oil City Area School District facilities might now be used to educate some of the district’s students.
Superintendent Pat Gavin said Tuesday the school district has been working to clear out its storage inventory at Central Supply along East Second Street in Oil City in hopes of eventually selling the building to save money.
“We would like to move fairly rapidly on that, but we have to do it right,” Gavin said. “We are trying to do it in stages.”
During the course of the sorting process, at least three fairly large markers or plaques and a school bell from older district buildings were discovered.
Gavin said some discussion went into what to do with the plaques and the bell, but he said they don’t want to dispose of them because they are a part of the district’s history.
“We think it is a good opportunity to get our students involved,” Gavin said.
The plan is to approach the Student Leadership Council at the start of the school year in a couple of weeks to see if there is interest in finding a unique way to display the plaques and bell so they will be visible and appreciated within the community.
Gavin said that not only would this project be a form of school pride, but it also could serve as an educational tool for the students because they would be involved with the logistics.
In addition, Gavin said students could enhance their research skills by looking up historical facts about the buildings where the plaques were originally placed, such as when the facility was constructed or how many students attended the school.
“We would leave it up to them to find little tidbits of information that people might want to hear,” Gavin said.
No official timetable has been established for the project, but Gavin thinks it could come to fruition in the near future, barring any twists or turns.
“I’d like to see something materialize by spring or the end of next year,” Gavin said. “We might be able to get something done this year, but it doesn’t take long before the cold weather sets in.”
