CFAC 2-Minute Videos: Costs of Projects the CFAC Considered
The first three videos of this 2-minute series covered space and facilities issues facing the Hamilton School District. The Community Facilities Advisory Committee also took a close look at the financial implications of addressing these concerns.
To recap, areas of concern that the committee identified were:
- Anticipated lack of classroom space at Lannon;
- Crowded common space at Hamilton High School and Templeton Middle School;
- Athletic fields at Hamilton High School; and
- Rising costs outpacing funding for schools.
A couple of caveats to keep in mind:
While many projects were considered, not all of them had committee support.
Also, these estimated costs were based on construction prices in November of 2021. If any of these projects would be recommended, actual costs would be determined based on when construction would occur.
Three potential solutions were considered to address Lannon’s lack of classroom space by building:
- an additional small elementary school in the district at a cost of $24 million;
- an additional small elementary school with a wing added to house Willow Spring 4K students at at cost of $41.5 million; or
- a larger elementary school where Lannon students would attend, leaving Lannon as a school for the district’s 4K students at a cost of $38 million
Next, renovation and expansion projects were considered to address the lack of common space at the high school and middle school.
High school options included:
- a simpler renovation and expansion of the high school cafeteria and kitchen at a cost of $7 to 8.5 million; or
- renovating and expanding the cafeteria and kitchen by moving the cafeteria to the space occupied by the main gym, and building a new larger gym at a cost of $18.1-18.3 million.
Middle school ideas were to:
- renovate and expand the cafeteria and kitchen at a cost of $1.2 million; and
- renovate and expand the library and large group area at a cost of $1.4 million
High school athletic field projects included:
- relocating the baseball field to the football practice field area near the soccer field at a cost of $1.5 million; and
- turfing the football field for $1.4 million.
More study is required to determine precise needs, but an operational referendum to address concerns about costs outpacing school revenue was studied. Factors that were considered included:
- Market compensation pressures
- Supply and demand of quality staff
- Increased technology replacement and maintenance costs
Remember, these projects represent what the Community Advisory Committee studied, not what it supported for a future referendum.
Stay tuned for the next 2-minute video that will take a look at the impact these projects could have on property taxes.