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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-23-2014 Minutes Work SessionDr. Charles J. Shackett, Superintendent Marjean McConnell, Deputy Superintendent 3497 North Ammon Road, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 83401  (208) 525-4400  Fax (208) 529-0104  www.d93schools.org Board of Trustees  Annette Winchester  Kip Nelson  Amy Landers  Brian McBride  Jeff Bird Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 is an Equal Opportunity Employer Work Session of the Board of Trustees July 23, 2014 11:30 AM I. Call to Order Chairperson Winchester called the meeting to order at 11: 33 a.m. II. Roll Call Those Board members in attendance were Chairperson Annette Winchester, Vice-chairperson Kip Nelson, Treasurer Amy Landers, and Trustee Jeff Bird. Trustee Brian McBride arrived at 11:39 a.m. Others in attendance were Deputy Superintendent Marjean McConnell, Director of Human Resources Shalene French, Chief Financial and Operations Officer April Burton, Director of Operations Todd Hicks, Director of Technolog y Services and School Improvement Scott Woolstenhulme, Director of Plant Facility and Purchasing Roger Hill, Energy Education Specialist Don Trauntvein, Director of Curriculum and Instruction Michaelena Hix, Director of Safe Schools, John Pymm, and Board Clerk Valerie Messick. Mr. McBride 11:37 III. Welcome Visitors and Delegations Chairperson Winchester welcomed the architects and Construction Manager Brad McKinsey. She asked them to introduce themselves to the Board Scott Stranwbhor, Rob Beusan, and Kurt Karst from Hummel Architects. Others attending the meeting were Shawn Seedall, Layne Elkington, Stephanie Gifford, Laura Pettet, and Kathy Murphy. IV. Items for Discussion A. Strategic Planning - Marjean McConnell Mrs. McConnell informed the Board that we are required by state law to post our District Strategic Plan online. She proposed that we post the District’s Wise Tool as our Strategic Plan since it is the state’s plan. It has goals and is easy to read. A copy of the Wise Tool is in the Board’s binder. We will continually update and revise the plan. As we have access to our student achievement data, we will also post that information. B. High School Feasibility Study – AKM/Hummel Architects and District Construction Manager Kurt Karst presented an overview of their presentation at the Regular Board Meeting held on July 9, 2014 where they reported on the Board’s request to do a study to determine the feasibility of making additions to the two high schools and brining the enrollment capacity in each to about 2200 students for around $34 million. The report was yes it is feasible to add on. The estimated cost was $12 million at Bonneville and $21 million at Hillcrest. The difference was $6 million for an additional gym and locker room at Hillcrest as well as additional site development costs. The $12 million estimate for Bonneville did not include any money for upgrading the existing building other than moving the administration out and repurposing that area for classrooms. No traffic flow issues would be addressed and no replacement upgrade of existing heat pumps or other existing systems. The estimates include mechanical systems to support the additions. They would try to tie in the head end of the fire alarm system or enunciator system. There were questions that the Board asked them to look into further. The primary question was whether we could be ready to start school in 2016. The Board asked them to look into the estimated cost of a new facility with a core facility to accommodate 1500 students with initial classroom space to accommodate 1200 students. The biggest design problem has to do with what to do with the existing core facilities. At Bonneville it would cost $41 million to upgrade the existing Bonneville building as well as add the needed classroom space. They are doing a complete remodel of Meridian High School over a five year phase program. Scott Strawbhor prepared scheduling scenarios based on the bond election dates of August, November, and March to give the Board information regarding when they could possibly occupy the buildings. If you shorten or lengthen a schedule it could be very costly. For a new high school you usually spend about a year in design. Then you take about two years to build. An extensive addition could be less time in design. But, construction would take about 18 months. It is just not doable to get you in a building by the summer of 2016. If a bond passed in November, construction could begin in April 2016, and it maybe could be occupied by August 2017. But, Christmas time would be a more likely occupation date. A March bond would push occupancy to February 2018. The ideal time to go out for bid is January or February. New construction would require an additional six months on the time line. You really need two summers for construction when school is out of session regardless of which scenario the Board chooses. They can come with a more exact schedule if the Board decides to bond in November and needs to have it done by August or July. There was discussion regarding the cost of a new high school. That would be about $55 - $56 million for a new high school with a capacity of 1200 students with ability to grow to 1500 students. If you want to build for 1500 you would need to add about $6 million to that estimate. The core would have everything you would need and you would just add classrooms and a few labs. This is a very conservative estimate. If you bid in 2016, it would probably be inflated by 3% – 4% per year from today’s prices. If you develop more of the site, the costs will increase. A new building could be occupied in June 2018. The difference in new construction and minimal additions to the high schools is about $21 million. The more work you want to do at Bonneville, the difference will narrow. The shell of Bonneville is worth about $55 per square foot. It would be a challenge to work around the kids. You would need to create swing space and then phase your way through the school. There was discussion regarding the cost of moving the portable classrooms to accommodate construction. The biggest cost would be additional Rocky Mountain Power feeds. We could move each trailer for around $10,000 so the total cost would be about $200,000 with the additional power feeds. We are adding one trailer at Bonneville this year and next year another one or possibly two additional trailers at Hillcrest. We currently have 12 modular classrooms at Hillcrest and 10 at Bonneville. Future placement of trailers will need to be made with regard to any construction decisions the Board makes. Just as a point of information, we closed three computer labs this year to convert to classrooms and replaced them with mobile labs at both high schools. As a result we didn’t need to add as many trailers. There was discussion regarding the need to add classrooms at Iona and Woodland Hills. To be able to do this without raising the levy rate, we would need to take the gym out of the Hillcrest remodel. Doing this doesn’t address the middle school issue. Chairperson Winchester asked what the procedure might be from here. There was discussion regarding how to vet this with the community. Other districts have held workshops and design work sessions with representatives from the community including parents, patrons, and students as well representatives from the school board and administration. That group should be about 20 - 30 individuals. They would work through a process of analyzing and discussing the options in three or four sessions. Then the committee would make recommendations to the Board. The District needs to create communication and goodwill with people to help solve the issues. The other option is for the Board can have these same types of dialogue at the Board Meetings. For a November bond election, we would need a resolution submitted to the county by September 5th. We really need a 2-3 month planning timeline to do it right. A March election would be best. We also need to look at a supplemental levy election this year. There was discussion regarding the architect’s perspective on adding-on to older high schools versus building a new school. When you add on to an existing school, from a design standpoint, you can’t adequately address all the design issues such as circulation and security and limits the quality of the end product. If you take the $12 million option, you still have a 1976 school that is deteriorating. Adding on will result in a new building hooked to an older building that will continue to deteriorate at a faster rate because of the additional students unless you choose to phase upgrades over 4 – 5 years. There was also discussion regarding safety regulations. There are none from the state so, Districts are free to address security they way they see fit. It usually is a budget issue. There was discussion regarding the need to consider growth projections in 8 or 9 years. You need to come up with a solution that will serve the District long term. The question that needs to be considered is what will happen when Bonneville and Hillcrest hit the 2200 student capacity. At the current rate of growth that will be the case in four or five years. You need to decide if you would have been better served by having three campuses where you can just add classrooms to the new building at a cost of $5 or $6 million. You have an immediate need and you can only afford so much but it is important to consider what it would look like when the enrollment is at capacity in the future. There was also some discussion regarding the tax levy rate. We need to understand what the community will support. There was discussion regarding the cost of doing nothing and the fact that it is expensive. Split sessions and moving trailers are very expensive. We need to sit down and work toward what we need to do. There will be operational costs people as well. We need to continue discussing at Board Meetings and at community meetings. Mr. Bird left the meeting at 12:56 p.m. Chairperson Winchester stated that the Board needs to put community names and student names together for the committee. We need to talk about the supplemental levy. We can’t vote on the supplemental in May because we are issuing contracts at that time and we need to know whether the funding is available. Either the November or the March election would be options. It would be better to run it in November. Chairperson Winchester asked Board Members for agenda items for upcoming meetings. She asked that the Board Members bring names for the committee to the next work session and that the supplemental levy be placed on the agenda. Mrs. Messick will send out a calendar invite with the location to the Board for the Administrative Opening Meeting that is scheduled for Friday August 15, 2014 at noon. V. Call for Agenda Items for Upcoming Meetings A. Work Session - Wednesday, August 13, 2014 - District Board Room - 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. supplemental levy and committee names we need well rounded on that committee - B. Regular Meeting - Wednesday, August 13, 2014 - 7:00 p.m. C. Opening Administrative Meeting - Friday, August 15, 2014 – 12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m. D. Opening Meeting - Tuesday, August 26, 2014 - Performing Arts Center at Hillcrest - 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. E. Work Session - Wednesday, August 27, 2014 - District Board Room - 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. F. Work Session - Wednesday, September 10, 2014 - District Board Room - 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. G. Regular Meeting - Wednesday, September 10, 2014 - 7:00 p.m. VI. Executive Session Chairperson Winchester stated that the Board will enter into executive session pursuant to Idaho Code Section 67-2345 (1)(b) To consider the evaluation, dismissal or disciplining of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual agent, or public school student. The Executive Session will be closed to the public as permitted by law. She then asked for a motion to move in to Executive session for the reason stated. 1:15 p.m. MOTION: Brian McBride made the motion to move into Executive Session for the purpose stated. Amy Landers seconded. The Roll Call Vote was: Jeff Bird –was not in attendance Amy Landers - Yes Brian McBride - Yes Kip Nelson - Yes Annette Winchester - Yes VII. Adjournment Chairperson Winchester asked for a motion to adjourn at 1:27 p.m. MOTION: Kip Nelson made the motion to adjourn. Amy Landers seconded. The vote was 4 in favor with 0 opposed and 0 abstentions Motion carried. APPROVED: _____________________ Chairperson ATTESTED: _______________________ Clerk Date: ___________________