Project Facts
This page provides a variety of facts related to the Elementary Project (Sloan property). The information provided includes the process that began with the Feasibility Study, Town Hall Meetings and district tours of other schools. Many questions are answered below including the current condition of the existing buildings and the Master Facilities Plan.
What type of Community Engagement and Feedback did the District solicit before beginning this project?
The District and School Board wanted the process for determining a path for the future of its schools to be all-inclusive. Parents, community members, students, staff, teachers, and others were invited to be part of the process. The events and activities that took place included the following:
- 4 Town Hall Meetings
- 5 Expanded Stakeholder Meetings
- 4 Stakeholder Facility Benchmark Tours
- 6 Board/Administrator Benchmark Tours
- 12 Board Meetings with updates or actions pertaining to the Feasibility Study and Recommendations
- 1 Act 34 Hearing
- 1 Bid Opening
What is the current condition of our schools with regards to the cost of maintenance and repair?
The five-year maintenance/repair needs of our facilities include:
- Elementary: $25 million
- Secondary: $49 million
- Total: $74 million
The ten-year maintenance/repair needs of our facilities include:
- Elementary: $32 million
- Secondary: $66 million
- Total: $98 million
The Master Facility Plan
What are the reasons the Board decided to start with the elementary buildings?
- Consolidates the District from three separate K-5 elementary buildings to a Primary K-2 building and an Intermediate 3-5 building
- Improves delivery of equitable academic and supplemental services, provides similar and enhanced educational experiences for elementary students or half of the FR grade levels
- Replacement of the oldest buildings on the campus enables the District to realize efficiencies and savings immediately through lower operational costs and better human resource management
- Enables the District to avoid approximately $32 million dollars of maintenance repairs on the elementary buildings
- Only feasible way to address traffic flow safety concerns on the School Road campus
What was taken into consideration before starting the project?
- Maintain/repair existing elementary buildings: $32 million
- Renovate Sloan/Construct new K-5 Elementary Building on Main Campus: $48-$52 million
- Elementary Consolidation: New 3-5 building and conversion of Sloan Elementary building to a K-2 building: Estimated Cost $53.7 to $57 million
- Pursue enhanced educational opportunities for all students
How much will the millage be impacted by this project?
The exact millage impact cannot be determined due to potential alternative funding sources (private and governmental), reallocation of human resources, operational savings (gas, electric, and water), and other factors. This makes predicting the exact impact impossible.
- Debt Run Rate Increases for Sloan project would equate to 4.52 to 5 mills spread over five years
- This equates to about $154 to $170 for the median homeowner
- One mills equates to $34 for the median homeowner
- The goal would be to phase in millage increases over five years.
- These figures do NOT include any potential savings, efficiencies, or alternative revenue sources.
What other key things played into this decision?
- Potential for improved services to student and savings in utility and personnel
- Creates overall safer and more secure campuses
- Provides equitable educational services and similar curricular experiences for all elementary students
- Demographic Study
- Enables “smart redesign” of secondary facilities
What are the plans for future project phases after the Elementary Project?
The Board is setting the long-term path for facility redevelopment. The timeline for these various phases is long-term and estimated to be a 10 to 12-year plan. The Finance Committee of the Board is recommending the following phases of redevelopment:
- Comprehensive Elementary Campus/Facility
- Sloan Renovations (K-2)
- New Intermediate School (3-5)
- High School Renovation & Additions
- Campus Reorganization and Traffic Designs
- Classroom and Educational Space Redesign
- Potential Health & Wellness Center and Athletic Fields
- Middle School Renovations