Planners wanted high school started in 2006

Representatives from the Middle-High School Facilities Committee will tell City Council on Monday night they need $360,000 in planning money included in the 2004-2005 school budget in order to begin the construction of a new high school in the spring of 2006. It has yet to be determined if the new structure — which has been roughly estimated to cost $25-million — would be built on the current Union Ave. campus or on a new site.

Former Mayor Matt Lahey, who, along with local architect Peter Stewart, was picked last night to present the school planners case to council, said the committee wants the high school project competed in 2008. Lahey said that in order to meet that schedule City Council would have to authorize borrowing construction funds — through the sale of municipal bonds — in 2005, although the total sum might be able to be broken up into more than one piece.

City Council meets Monday night to put the finishing touches on a budget for the fiscal year that begins on July 1.

Originally, the School Board had asked for a total of $900,000 in planning money for the coming fiscal year. They asked that the city borrow $750,000 of that sum — getting the remainder from funds left over from last year's Woodland Heights Elementary School renovation project — but councilors made it clear last week they had no stomach for borrowing money to fund the planning process.

School officials then decided to scale back their request to $360,000, and Mayor Mark Fraser has suggested that, in addition to the Woodland Heights money, the city could transfer $210,000 still in the bank from the Taylor Community property tax dispute settlement to the School District for planning.

There has been little argument from councilors as to need for a new high school — as well as a new middle school — but a solid majority have seemed to favor a much less ambitious construction timetable that the one promoted by the School Board.

Last night the 30-member facilities planning committee organized their presentation, concentrating on making sure councilors understand just exactly what the requested $360,000 will used for.

The first $150,000 will be spent on a "conceptual design" phase that will conclude with a rough design for both a new middle school and a new high school. An analysis will be made of all of the sites being considered for both buildings and educational specifications will be translated into design options. At the end of the process — expected to last eight or nine months — planners expect to know what they want build and where they want to build it.

The next $210,000 will be spent on a "schematic design" phase for the new high school only.

At the end of a process — estimated to last four to five months — school officials would be able to show councilors a site plan, floor plans and drawings of what the school would look like.

The "design development" and "construction document" stages would follow and would require additional funding. The $540,000 missing from the School Board's original request was to have funded the "design development" stage said to be needed before accurate construction costs can be determined.

School Business Manager Ed Emond told the group the goal would be to have the second, "schematic design" phase of the middle school project coincide with the start of construction on the new high school. On that schedule the middle school would be completed in 2009.

Planners decided their arguments to council on why the school projects should not be put off would center on:

— The fact that interest rates are currently very favorable,

— Construction costs will keep going up, perhaps as much as 5-percent per year,

— Maintenance costs of the current, aging buildings will be problematical, and

— The middle school would not be ready for students until the end of the decade, even at the recommended pace.