(Spirit Lake)– The Spirit Lake School Board Monday evening reviewed renderings and cost estimates for renovations and new construction at the elementary, middle and high school facilities, along with a possible indoor athletic facility. The proposed plans are based on recommendations from a facilities needs study that’s been ongoing for several years. Elementary Principal Jessica Vancura says a good deal of that facility is no longer adequate for modern day educational standards…
“Giving us that space to where students can come together, they can have those common learning areas while also having different ways for students to move and access that space. And a part of that would actually consist of a second level? Correct. So the first level would be 1st and 2nd grade and then right above that would be 3rd and 4th grade classrooms as well.”
The preliminary estimated cost of the work at the elementary was put at $28.5 million.
High School Principal Casey O’Rourke says a major part of what’s being proposed for that facility includes moving the industrial tech area, that’s currently in a stand-alone building, into the main high school, along with addressing what’s known as the Schuchert Circle…
“We’ve noticed over the years that we’re just not keeping up with the trades. So getting them and showcasing them back in the main building is probably the biggest piece. On top of that, our Schuchert Circle is extremely old. We can’t do much in there. Paper-thin walls. The type of learning we’d like to take place in there just can’t happen. So those two areas are probably the biggest areas that we’re looking to focus on here at the high school. So dreaming big and seeing what it could be has been really exciting.”
Under proposed plans presented Monday evening, the Schuchert Circle would be demolished and replaced with a new two-level facility. Total preliminary estimated cost of work at the high school was put at $24.5 million.
Plans for the middle school also include some renovations and an addition. It’s coming in at an estimated cost of $4.2 million.
The board also reviewed a proposal for a new 60,000 square foot athletic field house or “bubble” that would house a full new football field with end zones that could also be used for softball, soccer and wrestling, at an estimated cost of $13 million.
Plans for a second bus barn, estimated at $5.7 million, which would also include updates to the softball, baseball and football fields, were also presented.
The board did not take any public comment on the proposals at their meeting Monday evening. Superintendent Dr. David Smith says that will come at a special meeting the board will hold August 19th…
“From there they’ll have to, if they want to move forward, they’ll have to tell us to get signatures and then we’d have to go out and get 150 signatures quickly, probably in a three day span or so, five day span, and then have to come back before the 26th and have a board meeting to say yeah, we’re going to do this for sure, or no and maybe it waits a year or maybe they do part of it, a little bit of it, you know they’ve got some decisions to make. But they’ve been doing this for a long time. This is the third year for the facilities discussion so it’s not new to them and they’ve been thinking a lot about it. So I’m sure they’ll, I think we provided them with enough information to make some good decisions.”
As Dr. Smith mentioned, the board will need to decide by August 26th what, if any proposal, they’ll bring to the voters this November. Meanwhile he’s urging district patrons with any questions or those wanting to tour the buildings prior to the August 19th meeting, to contact them…
“They can contact the school, contact any one of the offices and we’ll get them through because it’s really important. And we think when people see it, when they see the Schuchert Circle, when they see the elementary classrooms, they’ll then know exactly what we’re talking about and why this is so important to us.”
School Board President Jeromy Mouw says he’s confident the needed stakeholders have had active roles in the process…
“Together they had an elementary committee, a middle school committee, a high school committee an athletics committee, a music committee. Everybody had a seat at the table. And then those committees were made up of teachers, staff members, parents, I think we even had some kids in one of them.”
The August 19th meeting is scheduled for 5:30 pm. A location for that meeting hasn’t been announced yet.
