A fresh coat of paint and laying some new tile can make an older building look new again. “RENOVATING the existing buildings will not provide comparable learning environments like a new building specifically designed for the needs of today’s students and educators,” said Kevin Nelson, Hollis and Miller associate. Superintendent of schools Jack Koehn said the renovation schedule also would be a problem because a full renovation could not be completed in any of the elementaries or the high school in a single summer.
But with major renovations come major costs — particularly for USD 257.
In the last three years the district has spent close to $2 million on repairing and replacing items at each of its school buildings.
At a February school board meeting, Scott Stanley, maintenance and transportation director, presented the board with a five-year plan of needed construction projects. The price tag was $5 million.
The report illustrates why the district is pursuing new schools instead of renovations.
The estimated cost for a full renovation of all elementary schools is about $30.5 million; renovating Iola High School would cost $23.1 million, according to architects from Hollis and Miller, the Overland Park-based firm hired by the district to oversee the construction work.
For comparison, a new building that would include all elementary students comes in at $25.2 million and a new high school is $23.8 million.
Local voters will go to the polls Nov. 4 to determine whether the district can proceed with the $50 million construction project.
All voters in USD 257 will decide on the bond issue; voters in Iola also will decide on a half-cent sales tax, with a portion of those funds going to the school project. Both must pass in order for the project to proceed.
New buildings also offer greater energy efficiency, air quality and security, he noted.
Consolidating separate schools into one building saves economically on foundations, HVAC, kitchen facilities and gyms.
Energy savings would be significant. According to Hollis and Miller the average existing Iola school uses approximately 66,000 Btu’s per square-foot. The average newly constructed school uses approximately 32,000 Btu’s in a similar area.
If the buildings were to be renovated systems and equipment would still need to be replaced, because of poor air quality and allergens evident in the old systems.
That means relocating classrooms to modular buildings.
In addition to the disruptions to students, the district would need to spend an estimated $50,000 per modular.
“We would have to find land to put the modules while renovations take place,” Koehn said.
Patrons who support “neighborhood schools” have opposed building new schools north of Iola.
The problem with building in town is finding the space.
“There isn’t a place in town that we could build a new campus,” Koehn said.
Small existing sites limit options for program expansion. A new school design with larger land allows for additions in the future if the district chooses to do so.
Renovations costly for school district
