As USD 257 board members prepare to open the doors on a new science building in the coming weeks, they’re also considering how to close the doors on the three elementary schools.
Board members heard an update on school construction projects at Monday’s meeting, and also agreed to publish a notice in November for proposals on the buildings that will close when the new elementary school opens in the fall of 2022.
The opening date for the new science building remains a bit of a question mark, but the building received its first visit from a fire marshal on Monday. The visit found five strobe lights in bathrooms and hallways hadn’t been installed, and some furniture needs to be in place before the fire marshal would issue an occupancy permit.
He was expected to return next week for another inspection. Superintendent Stacey Fager said he was hopeful a permit could be issued then, and administrators and staff could start moving into the building soon after the Labor Day weekend.
Some of the science lab tables and a kitchen range are on backorder and have not yet been delivered. Fager hoped the fire marshal would agree to issue a permit under the condition that those items would arrive within 60 days.
Meanwhile, construction crews were just about ready to complete their “punch list,” which is a list of items that still need to be completed.
“Don’t rush the move,” Board member Tony Leavitt cautioned. “Let’s make sure we’ve got things down where we need to be, even if we’ve got to stay in the old science building another week.”
THE elementary school building remains under construction at Kentucky and Monroe streets, with masonry crews making quick work as the various parts of the building take shape.
Masonry workers have been in short supply during the project, part of a larger labor shortage attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. But as the science building project wraps up, more crews have become available to help at the other site.
The entire foundation is complete, and city crews have helped tie in various utilities.
Board President Dan Willis said he feels comfortable about the status of the elementary school project.
WITH THE elementary building expected to be completed in June of 2022, board members were given the go-ahead to start thinking about what to do with existing buildings.
The board agreed to let Fager publish a request for proposals, likely in early November. It includes a caveat that board members can accept or reject any proposals.
Members expressed some apparent eagerness to see what developers might propose for the buildings.
During the campaign for the school bond issue, initial ideas for the old buildings included renovating them for housing. At least one developer with experience in such things expressed interest in two of the three buildings.
