Bayfield School Board members got some eye-popping cost estimates on Dec. 9 for a proposed new school, major renovations and additions at the elementary school, and renovation of the early primary school to become district administration offices.
The grand total was more than $38 million.
The projects have been discussed and the designs refined over the past couple of months with the prospect of asking voters to approve a bond issue in November 2016.
Last week's meeting was the first time serious cost estimates were attached. "We've refined costs further," Superintendent Troy Zabel said. "There's significant work to do before the end of January," the deadline for the district to apply for a Colorado Department of Education BEST grant to help pay for the construction.
He said all this had him awake at 3 a.m. He urged the board "to ask lots of questions so we know how to proceed after tonight."
District owner's representative Marty Zwisler said, "We met with the design advisory group three weeks ago, looked at cost options, and landed on what we feel are the best long-term solutions for the community and the school."
Architect Daniel Gartner listed costs for the a new school for third through fifth grades across Oak Drive from the middle school: $15.8 million just for the building; site costs of $4.14 million; and with other on-site costs, fees, furniture and technology, the total is estimated at more than $27 million.
Zwisler cautioned, "We have a really good handle on the vast majority of the costs, but there are some that are hanging out there." Those unknown costs could be significant, such as if they involve upgrading town water or sewer lines to serve the new school, road and intersection improvements to handle traffic impacts on town streets, or even helping to build a new north side access and road from Highway 160 at the east edge of town next to Evening's Porch Assisted Living to limit impacts on the Commerce/ 160 intersection.
"We may have to sit with the county, the town, CDOT, and have the discussion, what needs to be done and how it gets paid for," Zwisler said. That 40 acres is not in town limits, although it's surrounded on three sides by land that is. "We've been working on an annexation application," Zwisler said and added that it could be up for discussion at the next school board meeting in January.
Gartner listed costs to remodel the elementary school to serve grades K-2: $5.4 million for renovations and additions on the building, $858,000 for site work including a new bus loop and parent/student drop-off area on the east side of the school, and other costs for a total of $8.2 million.
Remodeling the early primary school for administrative offices was listed at $2.5 million, bringing the overall total to more than $38 million.
"Those are the pieces we have good confidence in," Gartner said.
Zabel said his 3 a.m. thoughts included, "Do we really feel the voters would go for something like this? If not... What keeps me up at night is we need to do something with that building down there," meaning the early primary school (BEPS) on South Street.
He laid out some alternate ideas:
. finding and buying some other property with easier terrain and fewer issues than the 40 acres south of the middle school, and go for the BEST grant and a bond issue in 2017 instead of 2016;
. make BES the grade 3-5 school instead of doing all the remodeling and additions to accommodate K-2;
. build the new school for K-2 with a small gym instead of one big enough to host mid school activities.
"We've done some analysis of scaling back, what that would save," Zabel said. "Tonight we need to decide if we're going to be ready for the BEST application. Do we spend some extra architectural money and plan the other scenario to have numbers on both, and pull the trigger in January, still be able to go for the BEST grant? Or look for land and go for the BEST grant and the bond in 2017? It's harder to get voters out in off years."
He suggested the early primary remodel should come off the list for either option.
Gartner said that plus the much reduced work at BES and the new school for K-2 would cut the over-all cost by about $5 million. "If we do the quantum shift, we need a lot of work between now and your Jan. 12 meeting to be ready for the BEST grant."
Zabel noted, "We don't know how much BEST money we'll qualify for."
Board member Janie Hoover suggested the pared down plan would be a better sell to voters, but the off-site costs need to be determined.
Board member Carol Blatnick said the off-site infrastructure costs could be similar for either option.
Board member Daniele Hillyer said, "I'm confused. It's only $5 million difference if we make that switch?"
Zabel said, "We won't know for sure unless we run that as a scenario. It's an insurance plan so we're prepared to go either way." The district will know in June if it will get a BEST grant, before the district has to commit for a bond issue, he added.
He continued, "We need to build for the future to some extent. BEST won't pay for future needs. They pay for current needs. We'd have to pay for the part that's future needs. ... It scares the (heck) out of me that we could get into the position of not passing this (bond issue). The only solution at BEPS would be modulars."
Blatnick said, "We have to get those children out of those buildings. Whichever of these plans will do the best job, we have to do it."
Zabel asked, "Is a $5 million savings worth what we'd be giving up? We're building for 30 years. It's easy to say we need to save $5 million, versus is that a good investment."
Hoover added, "Versus something needs to be done and jeopardizing the whole thing."
Board members were OK with spending the money to get firm cost estimates for the alternate plan B.
The district will e-mail a survey to district K-12 parents in early January to get feedback on the options before the Jan. 12 meeting.
BEST representatives were scheduled to do a site visit in the district to BES and BEPS this week.
