New elementary school on Jasper’s horizon

Bolstered by the responses to a survey regarding the school corporation’s buildings and infrastructure, Superintendent Dr. Tracy Lorey will present the school board with the option to build a new elementary school on the north side of Jasper.

Lorey discussed the results of the survey that in particular asked about the corporation’s options regarding the continued use of 5th and 10th Street Elementary Schools.

Respondents were given three options:

1. Update and renovated the two current elementary schools to fit the needs of school corporation’s students and faculty and continue to operate in the current configuration.
2. Combine the two schools in a new building.
3. Update and renovate the two current elementary schools to fit the needs of the school corporation’s students and faculty and reconfigure them to both be K through fifth grade.

“There were 606 respondents to the survey 0ver about three weeks,” Lorey said. “80% of the respondents selected to combine the two schools into a new school.”

She added that she hoped the sample was reflective of how the whole of the school’s constituents would have responded.

The survey came out after the last public meeting was held to discuss the school’s facilities and buildings as well as the future needs of the corporation. That meeting was held in April.

New combined elementary school near Jasper Middle School one consideration for future needs

During the April meeting, Lorey introduced two paths with estimated price tags.

If the corporation updated and renovated all its concerns and issues with the existing facilities, the hard costs — construction and materials — are estimated to be $27,524,982; but this doesn’t include the soft costs. Soft costs include items like financial fees, legal fees, professional fees, project management fees, land surveys, loose education equipment and other related costs not directly related to putting bricks in place.

Additionally, this cost did not address the continual flooding and drainage issues at Fifth and Tenth Street schools but would encompass most of the security, safety and environmental issues with the schools. Plus, the two elementary schools would require the vast majority of that amount to update and repair, an estimated $23,997,989 of the total listed above.

Another issue besides not addressing the flooding/drainage issues is that the construction would likely take much longer to complete due to the students being present in the schools. Plus, the construction would be a constant distraction for several years.

The second avenue discussed was to build a new combined elementary school on the 16-acre lot the corporation owns just north of the middle school. Creating this 750-student capacity elementary school along with the updates needed at the high school and middle school, including soft costs, brought the tab up to $30.5 million.

“When you look at what all the needs are and the costs of those needs to get those buildings into a condition that we feel is appropriate,” Dr. Lorey said. “And then you look at the issues with the sites that we aren’t able to fix like the stormwater and drainage issues. No matter what we do to the buildings, we cannot fix that…marry that with the fact that we aren’t going to be asking our taxpayers to pay any more than what they are already burdened with, to me you begin to weigh what is more fiscally responsible. I believe the better option is to combine those two schools into one school and not only for the sake of the cost but on the educational side of things, there are so many advantages of putting those students into one school as well.”

That bond could be issued in a way that the corporation would not have to increase its tax levy. As it’s current debt continues to drop, a $0.61 drop in the tax levy is on the horizon around the 2019-20 school year. The corporation sees this as an opening to begin moving forward with addressing the future needs of the corporation. So, rather than allowing the levy to drop, the corporation would incorporate the costs associated with the new school into its place. “2019 is really the next year we would be able to add additional debt without going above that 61 cents,” Lorey said.

In addition to the new elementary school featuring better classroom sizes and modern infrastructure, the building would be more energy efficient compared to the continued operation of the other schools. Lorey explained the corporation could save about $95,000 annually on electricity alone with the new building.

“That’s important because those dollars come from our general fund,” Dr. Lorey explained. “And $95,000 is a teacher in a classroom.”

Additionally, transportation cost savings are estimated to range between $80,000 and $90,000.

Lorey explained that the corporation had not made any decisions on how they were going to proceed. If the board approves moving forward with the recommendation at the next meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, June 26, a public project hearing will be held in July. This will be followed with a 30-day petition remonstrance period. “At that time we would just sit back to see if there are any other questions or comments regarding the project from anyone in the community who may not be in favor of the project for whatever reason,” Dr. Lorey said. “If at the end of that we haven’t received any certified petitions, we can begin adopting the resolutions necessary to begin the planning phases of whatever is in store for the future of those facilities.”

Concerns about the future of the current buildings were brought up in the survey as well as by the attendees to the public meeting.

If the new school is built, the Tenth Street building could go back to the Diocese of Evansville due to a clause in the deed that allows them first right of refusal to the building. Lorey reiterated that no talks had occurred between the school corporation and the Diocese yet since the official decision had not been made.

Regarding Fifth Street, the school would have to be considered as a potential space for a charter school according to Indiana Statute. If the corporation plans on vacating the school, the building will be put on an Indiana Department of Education listing to allow a potential charter school to purchase it for $1. The corporation could request a waiver from the state

Lorey posited the area needed more parking options for Alumni Field but also recognized there was a playground there that could be used.

In the end, she deferred to making any statements on what would end up happening with the property due to the unknowns still involved in the process.

“I am excited about the potential,” Lorey said. “It has been a long time coming where the needs of Fifth and Tenth Street schools have been needing to be addressed. Ultimately, we want to provide our students with a learning environment that is conducive to 21st Century learning opportunities and free of air quality issues and concerns and will be something that will be a mark in our community for a long, long time. Our kids deserve facilities that can provide them that and I think this would be an opportunity to give them that.”