LRFP Committee narrows options to 3

Salado ISD Long Range Facilities Planning (LRFP) committee is seeking input from voters through a second online survey that outlines three possibilities for bond proposals of about $50 million.

The online survey, which can be found at School Survey will be available through Jan. 21. The input will be used by the LRFP committee to shape a proposal to bring before Salado ISD trustees at their Jan. 29 meeting. The LFRP will meet again on Jan. 22 to discuss the results of the survey.

“Our committee members have reviewed the results of the community survey and appreciate the valuable information provided by Salado ISD community members,” Superintendent Michael Novotny said. “The committee has refined the scope of work and cost of the projects that are under review for a possible May 2018 bond.”

“Our school district’s financial capacity does not allow us to address all the classroom and extracurricular facility needs at this time,” Dr. Novotny said. “Each of the three options address some of the facility needs while other needs would have to be addressed when the district has additional financial capacity, which would be at least ten years from now based on current projections.”

“The costs associated with the following project options are a turn-key amount which includes construction, furniture, equipment, technology, fees and permits,” he said, adding that all three plans include a connecting corridor at the elementary school and intermediate school.

“This would build hallways between the existing elementary school, kindergarten/first grade wing, and intermediate school so that elementary school students don’t need to go outside to go between their classrooms, the office/library/nurse’s office, and the cafeteria,” Dr. Novotny said. “This is an important improvement for student safety, which was the highest priority identified by the facilities committee.”

Option 1 would include construction of a new Middle School for grades 6-8 on Williams Rd. Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade students would be spread across the three campuses at Thomas Arnold Rd. Construction of the Middle School, including two gymnasiums, has been esitmated by http://compressedairhire.com/ to cost about  $44.2 million with a capacity of 684 students.

In addition, Option 1 would add six classrooms at Salado High School for a cost of $2.5 million.

A connecting corridor would be $2.4 million.

The total cost of Option 1 would be $49.1 million and would expand classroom capacity by 796 students with no improvements or construction of high school athletic or fine arts facilities.

Option 2 would include construction of a new Junior High School at Williams Rd. for grades 7-8 with a single gymnasium and student capacity of 348 students for $33.7 million. Pre-Kindergarten through sixth grade students would be spread across the three campuses at Thomas Arnold Rd. A new football stadium located between the high school and junior high would cost $11.3 million. This would include parking, sidewalks and plazas, an artificial turf field, a 500 sq. ft. press box, concessions, restrooms, 2,500 seating capacity, scoreboard and detention pond. The construction would not include a track or halftime house. Six additional classrooms would be added at Salado High School for $2.5 million.

A connecting corridor would be included for $2.4 million.

Total cost of Option 2 would be $49.9 million.

Option 3 would be construction of the new Middle School for 684 students, improvements and expansion of the current football stadium to 2,600 capacity with turf field but no additional parking $3.7 million), the connecting corridor and four new tennis courts at Williams Rd. ($500,000). Total cost for Option 3 is $50.8 million.

If a bond proposal is approved by voters in May, the earliest that a new school could be occupied is August 2020. Enrollment at that time is estimated at 2,160.