Q. What will happen to the current Elem/MS building?
A. We can try to sell it. Public entities have the first right to purchase. If there are no interested parties, the OSFC will co-fund a demolition.
Q. Can we keep the current Middle School gym, locker rooms, etc.? And if we do, then can we not build an Elementary/Middle School gym and save money?
A. The estimated cost to keep just the Middle School gym, locker rooms and restrooms is $1.455 M. We would also have to maintain the building and parking lot, adding to our operating costs. Additionally, we would still have to build an Elementary gym for physical education classes.
Q. Why is the cost so high just to keep the Middle School gym?
A. First, after demolishing most of the building around this area, we would have to construct a new wall to enclose the space. Also, this part of the building is not tied directly to the public utility connections. Heat, electricity and water/sewage are all provided by sources that are in the portion of the building that would be torn down. Since that is the case, we would have to build on a mechanical room to house these items and purchase the necessary systems.
Q. How long would it take to do a renovation?
A. As long as 24 months.
Q. How long will the current K-8 building last?
A. This is difficult to answer, but the current heating system includes boilers that are many years old. Two were moved from the 1929 building and modified to burn gas instead of coal. One of those no longer works at all. The third boiler was installed with the 1969 addition. It consistently has issues of staying lit. The electrical systems cannot handle the load required for today’s technology, and there are plumbing problems throughout the building. Major expenditures are needed in that building; no one knows for sure when the boiler will fail, but we do not want to wait for a failure and be placed in an emergency situation.
Q. Why don’t we just fix what we have?
A. The cost to renovate this building with just the major items, like plumbing, electrical and HVAC, is almost the same cost as building a new building. Because the cost is beyond the OSFC guidelines for renovation, it is very doubtful that they would assist in the renovation. If they would co-fund the renovation, they would only co-fund about 50% of their calculated square footage, because they consider the building oversized. However, we would have to renovate to their standards, which would bring our local share almost to the same amount as building new or renovating ourselves.
Q. Why didn’t you repair every item when it broke instead of letting them pile up into requiring a major renovation?
A. Repairs were made as equipment broke. However, when the building was originally wired, no one could foresee the changes to technology and the additional electrical requirements that it would cause. This would be an update and upgrade to electrical system; not a failure to repair. As for the plumbing, the cast iron drain pipes and galvanized steel water lines have rusted. This happens over time. These pipes become very fragile as they continue to rust. Once you replace one, you likely have to replace them all, but some are built into concrete, making replacement very difficult. As for the heating system, it is old. It has reached its end of useful life and each repair becomes more difficult to make work. It is time for a replacement.
Q. Do we really need air conditioning?
A. If we accept OSFC assistance, it is a requirement. If we do a renovation ourselves, without OSFC assistance, we do not have air conditioning figured in to the cost. Academically, it would be a much better environment for learning.
Q. Isn’t this whole building project just about getting air conditioning?
A. No, it is about the condition of the current elementary/middle school building, the need for a major investment in heating, electrical and plumbing repairs and upgrades in that building and the availability of State money should we build new. It is about making the best use of local taxpayer funds to provide educational facilities for the district.
Q. Can we start school after Labor Day so that air conditioning is not needed?
A. The estimates for renovating the existing building do not include air conditioning and if a new school is built with OSFC assistance, then air conditioning is required.
Q. At the September 13, 2011, meeting we were informed that somewhere around $500k of the new building project is earmarked for demolition of the existing building. But, when I look at the spreadsheet for the cost of renovating the existing building, the estimate for removing hazardous materials is $463k. Wouldn’t we incur the same cost whether I renovate or demolish the existing building?
A. The cost to remove hazardous materials would occur, whether we demolish or renovate the building. In addition, there would be an additional cost of $520k to demolish the building. These are two separate contracts. The removal of hazardous waste would be completed first; then the demolition would occur.
Q. Who did the OSFC assessment?
A. The OSFC assessment was performed by Les Kreeger of Kreeger and Associates, Inc. in 2007, and updated in 2011.
Q. What year was the elevator installed?
A. The elevator was installed in 2002.