Board hears community’s views on new gym, other upgrades

by Rebecca Tescher Robison 

WORDEN – As the process to construct a new high school began, the Huntley Project board, community members and administration did a serious review of all buildings on the school campus to determine not just the needs of a new high school, but to determine and define the needs of the entire school campus.

At that time, deferred maintenance came to the forefront and people studying the process realized a number of areas at the school were beginning to fail.

So instead of just a new high school, the board voted to eliminate the cost of upgrading the old junior high school and chose instead to renovate the entire campus. The bill would be $15.5 million with $3.2 million earmarked for renovation of the remaining buildings on campus.

Of the total, $9.75 million would come from bond proceeds; $8.5 million from fire insurance, $375,000 from outside donations and $225,000 from bond and insurance deposit interest.

The hope was to upgrade all the school buildings in the district, not just construct a new high school.

Major items in the $3.2 million upgrade are replacing heating systems in both the elementary and the CTE building.

Additionally, the elementary would get new windows, foundation drainage improvements, a new central office added to the building’s east main entrance, converting the existing office for classrooms, a new roof, three-phase power and additional electrical outlets in each classroom.

Called “the most inefficient building on campus,” the CTE building would also get ADA toilets, an electrical surge panel and firewall upgrades.

In the campus upgrades are $600,000 for parking lots, $300,000 to demolish the old junior high building and  adding a heating system to the multipurpose building now heated by the junior high boiler.

Planners wrestled with putting ground source heat pumps in the elementary rather than a propane-fired furnace but are now leaning toward propane heat as the projected cost of ground source heat is $1.7 million versus $835,000 using a propane furnace. (At this time, a cooling system is not being considered in the elementary and thus the new propane-fired furnace will cost $585,000.)

What becomes clear as the process of building a new school evolves is, it is not an exact science.

Terry Sukut, President of JGA Architects, said, “All of these projects are conceptual and warrant contingency line items. No bids are exact but as things refine there may be contingency dollars which free up to do other things.”

Sukut was asked if the upgrades could legally be done with the bond money or if there was anything in the bond issue addressing remodeling the elementary.

Superintendent Wes Coy responded, “We will use the bond money to build the new school and will have insurance money to be used to do other projects. The bond money can also be used to purchase the (Dassinger property).”

Construction costs fluctuate up and down, and luckily for this school district, in this recession, construction costs are trending down and the project is about 15 percent under budget.

This leaves the board with what could be an additional $500,000 to use on “add alternate” bids – a list of items presented to the board at a recent meeting, some approved, some on hold.

Approved in those alternative proposals are bleachers and glass guardrail upgrades for the new gym mezzanine, tile wainscoting in the corridors, upper cabinets for classrooms and more, items that totaled $512,864.

What was not accepted in the “add alternates” is a plan to expand the high school gym by 14 x 110 feet. This additional cost with heating, ventilation and cooling upgrades and bleachers is about $177,000.

The old high school gym was 7,800 square feet. The gym proposed is 10,700 square feet, and with the expansion would be 12,240.

It was the board’s decision to nix the gym upgrade that precipitated a public meeting at HP elementary gym on Monday night, May 3. About 75 local people attended and many vocally supported a gym that would seat 1,975 versus the current plans for 1,555 seats. The new gym in Columbus High School seats about 1,500.

Those in attendance, for the most part, supported the expansion. HP coach and PE teacher Iona Stookey said that the gym has been her classroom for 20 years. “There is nothing worse than no room in the gym.” She said currently the make-shift “bubble” gym is very crowded especially during mid periods of the day.

Additionally, the state champion volleyball coach said, “I would love to host the first divisional volleyball tournament in our new gym.”

Former school board member Dave Carlson said he came to the Project as a mail carrier in 1988 when the route to Pompeys Pillar had 250 residences. Now, there are 450 residents. “It is growing, growing, growing. It would be a big mistake if we don’t add on now.”

Grocery store owner Michael Reiter, a vocal proponent of the expansion, suggested the board reconsider other items on the “add alternates” and add a larger gym now. Those other items could be added at a later date, he said.

School board president Mark Fox defended the vote against the expansion, stating the district doesn’t have enough parking for additional spectators. “Everywhere they park we have to be responsible for parking. We do have to provide parking.”

Additionally, Fox said he wanted to make sure other needs are covered.

Reiter suggested the gym could be poured now and the parking issue could be worked out at a later date.

Trustee Tim Moullet agreed saying, “We can’t come back and pour the gym. The parking can be worked out later.”

Fox responded, referring to people parking all over Worden, “We’ve made the choice to be a good neighbor from the beginning.”

Former board member Ted Tallon suggested the board take out the proposal for skylights above the commons area. He said where he works, “The skylights are a nightmare.” They have to shovel snow away, they leak and require constant maintenance, he said.

Phyllis Foss questioned if the board has done an assessment of costs to heat and cool the extra gym space and if that was part of the reason why the board voted it down.

Trustee Larry Peabody said the board is still waiting for the final numbers, which change every time the board has a meeting, he said.

“I’d like to study the numbers to see where we are at,” Peabody said. “I see $3 million to get some things done but we have to see how things play out.”

Supt. Coy added that the figures compiled for the meeting changed at noon that day.

An audience member asked the board, what is it about the gym that it isn’t going through, the cost or the concept?

Peabody responded, “The gym expansion should not have been on the “add alternates” list. They threw it in front of me at a meeting. I have no problem with it but I have to see how things play out.”

Peabody also questioned how many times a year the expanded gym would fill up.

Reconsideration of the vote can only be brought before the board by a dissenting board member. At this time, there is no proposal to reconsider the gym expansion vote.