Community, school district narrowing options for new facilities
After several community meetings over the last few months and working with construction management, financial and architectural firms, the Dalhart Independent School District was presented with two options for potential new facilities and additions and renovations to others, at a community meeting June 23 in Dalhart.
The original priorities tabbed by the community during public meetings in the spring was to replace the Intermediate school, improve parking and traffic flow at facilities districtwide, add a new career technology center, and renovate the junior high and elementary school.
“Very recently, we talked about capacity,” said Rob Sidebottom of Gallagher Construction Management. “The big, glaring concern was the intermediate (school), I think we all knew that.”
The Intermediate school as it stands was built in 1951 and it would be more cost effective to build a new school rather than renovate the existing structure. One of the ideas brought up by community members was to combine the elementary and intermediate schools into one campus, so the construction manager and architect came up with a plan for that scenario.
The district was presented two scenarios Thursday night that identify the greatest need as identified by the community at the public facilities meetings since April.
•Scenario 1: Build a new intermediate school adjacent to the current school, add six classrooms to the elementary school with additional renovations to the elementary and junior high schools, and build a new Ag barn. The project could potentially cost anywhere from $50- $59 million depending on when a bond election could be held (November 2022 or May 2023) and inflation rates.
•Scenario 2: Build a new PreK through 5th grade campus in an area south of the current high school, renovate the junior high school and build a new Ag barn. That scenario could cost anywhere from $56.5 million to $66 million, again depending on when a bond election would be held and inflation rates.
Those are just possible scenarios and estimated costs. Nothing is final.
“Why is it so hard to come up with numbers when you ask what is a school building gonna cost us?” Sidebottom said. “We really don’t know what it’s gonna cost until we put it out to bid, we’re not gonna put it out to bid until (the architects) have designed what you’ve asked them to design. But the State of Texas says (that) in order to call a bond, in order to build a school, you’ve got to have a number.
“So it’s kind of hard to have a guess number, and try to back into it with the amount that you need to build a school.”
No matter what scenario is ultimately chosen, Sidebottom said the new facilities wouldn’t be ready until 2025.
Another item discussed whether to have a bond election in November 2022 or May 2023. Election turnout would be greater in November (the national mid-terms), but May gives the community and school district more time to get the word out. It does not affect the timing of when a new facility would open.
Brett Sumrow of Corgan architects, said that Scenario 1 - building just a new intermediate school adjacent to the current building - “Fits, but it’s very tight and from a construction standpoint, it would logistically be difficult,” he said. “But it can be done.”
Option 2 - building a PreK to 5th grade school south of the high school - has much more land available.
“We have more room for onsite drives to get the traffic off the street,” Sumrow added. “The other thing about this site is this is a 1-story building, which is easier to build and will be less expensive.”
Plus, if the campus includes PreK, first and second graders, the state says the building must be one floor.
If the district waits until May to call for a bond election, Sidebottom said the cost could go as much as $3 million higher based on inflation.
“Let me caution you, if this group (the community members) cannot come to a consensus for November, but you try anyway, you might not be able to go right back out in May,” he said. “It might cost you a lot more than $3 million.
“So this group has to be at a consensus, if you say we’re ready for November, this group has to say let’s go get it done.”
At the end of the meeting it was decided to work on getting the word out to the community regarding what’s needed, potential costs and tax rate impacts of a potential bond and when that could potentially happen.
“We need to make sure that we don’t get in so much of a hurry that we overrun our public and we don’t communicate properly,” said John Blackburn with Live Oak Public Finance. “Right now, I think we’re in a good situation to do that effectively with both of these scenarios, both November and May. Is it gonna take a little more elbow grease to get it for November? Yes.”
Board member Tammy Schniederjan said it was up to the community members in attendance to sell the bond.
“We have to educate ourselves and be able to talk, and not just say ‘I want it,’” she said. “I want the best for our kids, I toured that building (the intermediate school), it’s awful. We have a broken building and we’re crowded and all these different things, we’re not meeting ADA Guidelines, there’s so many things that we’re not doing that we need to get better at.
“We have to just either pull ourselves up by our boot straps and agree to agree and go forth, or not, or disagree and not do it.”
I n c o m i n g Superintendent Jeff Byrd - in the audience as a community member - said he’s a thousand percent in favor of a PreK through 5 campus, saying there’s a major transition between grades 2 and 3 that kids shouldn’t have to deal with.
“I think there’s two questions that have to be answered, number one, we don’t need to worry about if we’re passing a bond in November or May until we determine what we’re going to pass,” Byrd said. “If you’re ready right now to commit to November, it’s not going to pass.”
Blackburn said it’s not that everyone’s saying to do a bond, but “It may not ever be more affordable to do it and get what we need than it is right now,” he said. “I’m not promoting November, I’m just saying now, in general between these two options, November and May.”
Another meeting was not set, but will likely be July or August.
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