Plans for the construction of a new middle school on the Gallatin R-5 campus have been downsized but most improvements originally targeted are now expected to become reality by the second semester of the 2015-16 school year.
This website brought to you in part by the following sponsor:
Find out how to advertise here - Email us! [email protected]
A $1.5 million bid for the construction of a new 1-story middle school was approved by the R-5 Board of Education during a special meeting held April 28.
The necessity of revising original plans announced last fall became apparent after initial cost projects for a proposed 2-story facility came back higher than anticipated last November. Since that time, school officials have been revising plans with architects until anticipated costs lowered to a more acceptable range.
Six bids were opened but then tabled during a special school board meeting held April 10 in the school library. The project attracted bids from Herner Construction, Wilcott Construction, Case Construction, Julius Kaaz Construction, Irvinbilt Construction, and PSR Construction.
Wilcott Construction of Kansas City submitted the low bid of $1,549,000 which is approximately $188,000 below the next lowest bid submitted. School officials then went to work evaluating options to further lower construction costs in hopes of achieving a $1.4 million target price. That work continues.
During another special board meeting held April 28, the board approved Wilcott Construction’s bid by unanimous vote. The motion adds $7,731 for a private toilet in the office of the new middle school. Negotiations continue on various other options, and decisions which are still pending will impact the project’s final cost.
Click to enlarge.
The proposed construction will follow plans delivered by Edwin Korff & Associates, an architectural firm from Prairie Village, KS. Both the architectural firm and the construction firm have respected reputations in various school building projects elsewhere in Missouri.
The bid specifies a 270-day construction period. School officials hope construction will be completed by the second semester of next school year. No changes in classroom scheduling or settings for students and faculty will be made until the entire building project is complete.
“Practically speaking, Gallatin will not operate with a middle school program until the 2016-17 school year,” says Supt. Dennis Croy.
Project financing will involve lease-purchase terms over a 15-year payoff period. No increase in taxes is anticipated. There is no penalty should construction debt be retired early once past the first five years of repayment by schedule.
Construction for a new middle school is being accomplished by downsizing initial plans. Most of the improvements identified when initial plans for a middle school were announced will be realized in what is now considered Phase 1 of a two-phase strategy.
“We essentially downsized from 10 new classrooms to eight and cut out one administrative office,” says Supt. Croy. “Our plans have changed from a 10,000 sq.ft. 2-story building to a 9,000 sq.ft. 1-story building. But we’re still planning to retain many aspects of the original plan that makes the construction of a new middle school so attractive.”
Important features retained in the new building to be constructed this fall include:
>> Storm shelter to FEMA standards (slightly larger space than previously planned, which also will be used as the band room).
>> Eight new classrooms, eliminating the need for the oldest classroom trailer next to the elementary building and eliminating the necessity of using the elementary school stage and closets for classroom space.
The new middle school will be aligned due east of the present high school. Exterior features of the metal frame structure include concrete slabs with brick wainscoat below the window line so as to aesthetically blend with both the existing high school and elementary school buildings. A facade will front a metal slant roof and hide rooftop air-conditioning units.
Revised plans now approved exclude additional parking. Some improvements, such as parking lot and covered sidewalks between buildings, may be added by local contractors when finances permit.
At some future date when additional funding is in place, more improvements may be considered in Phase 2 of construction plans. Perhaps this might include a 2-story building providing ground-level entrances with continuous hallways between the middle school being constructed now with the existing elementary school building. Later plans may or may not include more classrooms to lower the student-to-teacher ratio in elementary grades.
Phase 2 could also include a gymnasium and improvements to the school district softball field and track, depending on public support. “Most likely anything involved in Phase 2 will require voter approval for bond financing,” says Supt. Croy.
School board members and administrators welcome patron comment and questions. Those serving on the board are Brice Terry, Jesse Bird, Trent Dowell, Jeffrey Donovan, Priscilla Whitt, Tim Bradford, and Dr. Bill Irby.