(Lake Park)– As we reported previously, a bond issue to construct a new elementary school onto the existing middle school-high school facility was overwhelmingly supported by voters in the Harris-Lake Park School District Tuesday. Superintendent Gary Richardson says they’re thankful to the community and everyone who supported the issue…
“Things couldn’t have gone any better. We had a large group of hard working folks that got information out that was accurate and timely and the voters of the Harris and Lake Park communities overwhelmingly supported the project and we’re just blessed to be able to be in this community and be able to take this project forward.”
He says giving the community a firsthand opportunity to see the need played a big role in the level of support the measure received…
“I just think that our elementary area has three or four different additions to it and by and large the mechanical systems have become increasingly more difficult to run what needs to be run as far as heating and cooling and even plumbing and some electrical and I think that information provided and the ability to tour the building probably had as much to do as anything, and then just the number of people that were able to get the information out to folks, I think, was probably secondarily as important as what I just mentioned.”
Richardson says now they can start putting together plans and bid documents. He says that likely will occur quickly…
“We’ll have some design meetings with FEH Design. We’ll have groups of folks that will provide input and hopefully we’ll get some bid packets out here this spring so that we’re able to hopefully do some groundbreaking in the fall of 2024 or late summer. We’re looking forward to that. It’s normally a 12 to 18 month process so we’re excited to get that going.”
Discussion on what to do with the current elementary building will also be part of the process.
