By Dewey Terrill
JC Post
The initial planning estimate for the new Junction City High School project was projected at a maximum of $105 million but that number is now $121.5 million. Despite that development USD 475 officials have made it clear there will not be any increase in the property tax levy for local residents.
The Board of Education received a report on the project Saturday during a retreat at Acorns Resort.
The Chief Operations Officer for USD 475, David Wild, noted that the initial planning estimate is now more than three years old, and the construction price index over the last three years reflect a 15.8% price hike. If that is added to the $105 million figure you get a $121.5 million adusted price. “So the Board is looking at, in order to cover those costs, putting some additional ( federal ) impact aid to the project. The take-away for the project is that there will still be no need to raise the mill levy with the school district. We’re on target, we’re within budget allowances and we’ve got the funds to make the project go.”
The Board of Education met in a retreat at Acorns Resort on Saturday and by consensus agreed to a four-page list of alternates, or more than 120 line items, that will have to be cut from the wish list for the project at this time. Wild said minimum needs of the project are still going to be met. “Enhancements, we will continue to look at critically, trim them, put them in the six-year master plan if applicable, to continue to build out and enhance the project over time.” Wild said officials want to ensure a school in August of 2021 as promised to the community with no increase in the mill levy. The six-year master plan is funded by regular capital outlay revenues.
Wild said since federal heavy impact aid is being used to help fund the project the district is required to follow the Davis-Bacon Act. ” Which are labor costs that are pretty high. We’re talking as high as $55 per hour for a trade discipline.”
Breaking down the funding for the project $105 million would come from a bond issue, $4.5 million from the bond premium. $3.5 million from interest realized to date, another $2 million from interest expected through the construction period and $9 million from federal heavy impact aid that was set aside earlier by the school district for this purpose.
For now, decisions on a possible BUILD transportation grant totaling $3.7 million that could potentially be awarded to the city to help with infrastructure costs, and an orchesta room, additional gym and fitness alternate bid will be delayed until possibly November. The Board and staff are deferring decisions at this time on furniture and equipment which could run from $0 up to $2.5 million, and on a safety and security system.
Some of the alternates being cut from the wish list include deleting brick pavers and landscape benches, removal of the west drive connection between both drives on to Munson Road, removal of some parking spaces, but 882 parking spaces remain in the project.
Other items deleted will include a loop drive at the main entry, plus there will be a reduction in the width of sidewalks, removal of concrete under the stadium bleachers and filling that area with rock, reduction in the concessions area, removal of operable partitions between classrooms and infilling with drywall.
Sloped locker tops at student lockers will be removed along with small conference rooms on both floors along the main corridor and three academy areas and there are a number of changes in equipment, mechanical, campus boiler, pipes, water heaters and softener, lab hoods, heat pump, ceiling tile, for the back stairs and athletic stairs, change of carpet brand, reduction in wood finish carpentry and a change of all corridor wall tile to paint – drywall will be exposed.
Other items being removed include removal of baseball and softball concessions, restrooms and ticket booth building and the baseball and softball announcer stand. A construction class will be tasked with building all of those items. Concrete dugouts, will be removed and fenced dugouts will be installed on those ballfields. Lighting will be removed from junior varsity baseball and softball fields, lighting levels will be reduced on the football field from 50 f.c. to 40 f.c. DIgital scoreboards for football, basketball, baseball, softball will be changed to standard LED, and there will be no scoreboard for soccer.
A total of 804 home seats and 198 sesats will be removed from the football stadium leaving home seating totaling 2,720 seats and 800 visitor seats. The varsity softball and baseball fields will be grass fields instead of turf at a savings of $1.5 million.
The audio visual system for broadcast will be removed although the district’s Tricaster can still be used. The audio system for music classrooms, the orchestra classroom, for the commons and for weights, wrestling, multipurpose and fitness are on the list to be removed.
The next major decision for the Board of Education will occur on Sept. 3 when they consider the guaranteed maximum price for the main school building itself. Wild said that cost will be in the vicinity of $99.5 million.