In February 2015, the Cascade voters will be asked to vote on a bond measure for the new construction of Osborn Elementary to be located on the Pine St property, modernization/remodel of Peshastin-Dryden Elementary and the new construction of Cascade High School with modernization of the two existing gyms; these projects to be completed over six years. These decisions were based on the recommendation of the two citizens facility advisory committees (elementary & high school) coming together for extensive discussions on October 20th. The questions and answers that follow have come to the district administration for discussion/clarification and we are committed to providing timely and accurate responses to all inquiries. Please feel free to contact me via email or phone (see contact info below). Question #1: The purchase of the Pine St. property seemed to come out of nowhere. Why didn’t anyone know about this purchase until just lately? • School boards must use executive sessions during their meetings to discuss real estate negotiations. This allows the district to remain confidential on offers in place. The board went public on April 28 with a resolution to authorize the business manager to seek funding for the property to be paid off in full over the next six years. This has been done and is included in the operating budget. The sale closed on October 31, 2014 for $875,000. The appraisal came in at $905,000. Question #2: Why can’t we see the completed building plans before supporting the bond proposal? • Excellent question! School districts in Washington rarely, if ever, spend tax dollars on buildings to be purchased by a bond yet to be passed. Complete plans typically run 8% to 11% of the overall project cost depending if its new construction or modernization. These fees are governed by state WAC codes and require a sliding scale based on the size of the project. Completed plans generally run about $1,000,000 per project. This would be impossible for us to do without funding from a bond measure. Question #3: Are we paying an architect for work done in planning for the bond? • We are working with BLRB Architects for bond planning and conceptual designs. A fee not to exceed $25,000 will be paid to the firm contingent on a successful bond campaign. Following a successful campaign we will ask for proposals from architectural firms and an architect will be selected by the board or a committee appointed by the board. Question #4: How can I provide input for the design of the new buildings? • Building principals will lead the design/program committees. Staff members, parents, and community members will be part of the committees. All of this will follow a successful bond campaign. Question #5: I thought we decided to build one large elementary school. What happened to that plan? • Yes, that was the original plan. Through final work with the citizens advisory committees, the group decided to continue with a two small school format. The two school system is working well and is supported by our communities. Once the affordable housing subdivision, Meadowlark, is complete we are expecting an increase in enrollment. Should we need additional space, the two schools will have expansion plans and specs already in place that could be built with a short term two-year levy. Expansion of a 500 student K-5 school could be more difficult to achieve. Question #6: Why is the high school being built last? • Most likely the high school will be built sometime in the middle and independent of the elementary projects. Timelines, permits, weather, and material availability may play into the decision. Also, Elia always got his way as an only child and we are trying to help him grow in this area :) Question #7: I thought the Pine St. property had wetlands and is protected from building projects? • The district had a contingent wetlands study completed before purchase. The report in July by Grette Associates indicates no wetlands on the parcel we purchased. There are two small potentially natural streams on the north edge of the property that may need setbacks to protect them. Grette is continuing their study and will report back to the district. They do not view this as a problem. Bill Motsenbocker, Superintendent [email protected] 548-5885
Posted on: Fri, 07 Nov 2014 21:27:25 +0000
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