Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Colfax School District board voted Monday night to formally consider remodeling Jennings Elementary School for 2017.
The vote begins a process that may or may not lead to changes at the school.
The board had been advised at its previous meeting that if they wanted to start the project in 2017 they would need to consider placing a bond proposal before the voters next spring.
Colfax Superintendent Michael Morgan will now hire an architect for initial planning, followed by verifying engineering studies conducted last spring by Apollo Solutions Group of Spokane.
District officials will ask the state’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to set up reserve capital improvement funds to create a potential match if the Colfax plans go through.
The board discussed the matter near the end of Monday’s meeting. Brian Becker made a motion to consider it for 2017.
Laura Johnson hesitated.
“It just seems so wishy washy,” she said.
After further discussion, she was assured by the rest of the board that the vote only sets up the district to consider a project.
Johnson then joined the other three directors in a 4-0 vote in favor of the motion. Board member David Nails was not present.
Morgan later told the Gazette that items listed in the engineering study include replacing boilers, installing more energy efficient windows and lights including replacing the mercury lights in the old gym, and putting in a sprinkler system.
When the building was last remodeled in 1992, a sprinkler system was not required by law.
Other potential changes noted by Morgan include new carpet in classrooms and updating HVAC controller units and more.
Another potential addition could be improving parking, possibly by moving the road out to space closer to the North Fork river channel.
“This would be probably a cheaper remodel than we’ve ever had to experience,” Morgan said.
Once the initial planning is complete, staff will be surveyed and a comprehensive list of improvements will be presented to the board for consideration and decisions made on funding.
The superintendent told the board at its Oct. 27 meeting that if they aim for construction in the summer of 2017, a bond would need to be passed in Colfax this coming spring (2015).
The timing coincides with the district’s bi-annual maintenance and operation levy scheduled to go before voters.
If a 2017 construction plan is followed, the new bonds would be in effect with the district’s current bonds for the 2003 remodeling of the high school. End of that bond issue is in 2019.
“Within three years you need to start the project,” Morgan told the board then, indicating that the state now has $7 million available in matching funds to be applied for by Dec. 1. The program is run on an annual basis with the first of December as the deadline each year.
Built in 1953, Jennings’ remodel in 1992 included changes made to exterior walls, added classroom space, enhanced heating/venting systems and improved roof design.
Last year, the school office was remodeled and electronic locks were added, along with other small changes, after the district passed a $250,000 security and capital improvements levy.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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