Construction of a new elementary school may be getting most of the attention these days, but there’s still plenty of work to be done on other aspects related to the 2019 school bond issue.
They include:
• USD 257 board officials approved spending $844,030 to tear down the old science building and cafeteria at the Iola High School, and construct a parking lot at the site.
• The board signed a letter of agreement with a company that wants to convert all three elementary schools into housing after they are vacated with the move to the new school.
• District maintenance and staff will need all hands on deck this summer to prepare for the big elementary school move, while also taking care of upkeep and necessary projects at the middle and high schools.
THE BOARD delayed tearing down the old science building and cafeteria because the new building didn’t open until October, and the cafeteria was still needed to prepare meals for the three elementary schools this year.
That decision, though necessary, comes with a cost.
When planning for the 2019 school bond issue, the board calculated it would cost about $250,000 to tear down the building and create a parking lot.
But with the current rate of inflation and labor shortages, costs will be much higher. The board also expanded the scope of the project, with a larger parking area, in order to make the most of the construction opportunity.
Another unexpected cost came with the discovery of asbestos and other chemicals that will need to be abated before the building can be demolished. That added about $61,000 to the cost.
In total, the cost to demolish the existing science building and cafeteria, and to build a new, large parking lot, will be $844,030.
Superintendent Stacey Fager said the district had enough money saved in its capital outlay fund to pay for the cost. The district had been saving in recent years, knowing it might have to cover such expenses.
Board members noted it’s one of the few, if only, times the project faced increased costs as construction prices surged as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
They credited construction manager Randy Coonrod, owner of Coonrod and Associates, for knowing when and how to bid the project to maximize savings.
Coonrod, who was on hand for Monday night’s meeting, said it was a matter of timing. The projects were bid right as costs started to rise, and he was able to lock in lower rates.
“I will say you hit this just right,” Coonrod said. “If you had been a little bit later, the costs would have ballooned. But we have been impacted by COVID. The deliveries have been tough.”
Also, construction of the science building uncovered and exacerbated some storm water drainage issues in the area. The city granted a temporary occupancy permit for the science building with the understanding the problem would be corrected once the old science building was demolished and the new parking lot constructed.
