School Board approves cost and plan for new junior high school

Wednesday’s school board business was limited to a discussion regarding the proposed Maricipa Wells Junior High School, its cost, items included as well as excluded in the Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) and funding for the project.

The State Facilities Board will fund the school on the basis of 750 students. In actuality the school will be capable of housing 900 students on the first day. A build out could enable the district to house 1500 students.

Total cost for this project will be $10,263,0000. Including available monies, the total funding deficit would be $1,115,207. “And there’s probably another million or million and a half needed for technology, and so forth,” explained board president Jim Chaston.

Governing Board President Jim Chaston asked for a complete list of all furniture, supplies and textbooks needed by the first day of school.

Staff was directed to come up with a complete list of the furniture, desks and textbooks necessary for the new school. The list, according to Chaston must include, “On the first day of school what we have to have in there.”

CORE Construction president, Jim Jacobs, discussed some changes in the project plan. “The changes,” according to Jacobs, “are better than what you’ll see. We have included a baseball field with a backstop, hydro seed grass and irrigation and a dirt infield as well as three exterior basketball courts with asphalt surfaces.”

“We feel basketball courts need to be concrete,” Superintendent Alma Farrell responded. “It’s tough to play competitive sports when you practice on asphalt.”

Included as part of the GMP are four classrooms in lieu of physical education locker rooms adjacent to the multi-purpose room and wrought iron instead of chain link fencing for the perimeter of the school.

Principal Stephanie Sharp noted that, with the state making physical education a K-12 mandate, locker rooms would become imperative. Staff had listed several other items that needed to be included in the plan. Jacobs explained, “We can provide an alternate price for every single thing you’ve mentioned.” He did note that anything related to electrical changes needed to be a relatively quick decision.

The board voted unanimously to approve the GMP, the grading and foundation work on the site as well as the use of additional district funding, possibly bonds or other revenue streams.

Monday, February 6, at 7 p.m. the City Manager’s Task Force on Education will be holding a public forum at Pima Butte Elementary School. Topics will include new schools, teachers, curriculum and general school district operations. A quorum of the school board members may be present for this meeting.