Sequim School District’s next construction bond proposal is taking shape.
School board members Monday night affirmed they want to see four major items that superintendent Kelly Shea proposed on Sept. 22, including construction of a new elementary school, additional classrooms at Greywolf Elementary, additional classrooms and band/choir rooms at Sequim High School, and demolition of unused portions of the Sequim Community School.
“I think we need all four of those things,” Sequim School Board president John Bridge said.
Four of the district’s five board members — director Bev Horan was absent from Monday’s meeting with an illness — are also seeking to put the purchase of land on which to build the new elementary school in the next bond proposal.
“I’m not sure why land acquisition is not in the initial (proposal) cost,” Mike Howe said.
Shea’s initial proposal is at about $46 million. Acquiring land, which school and City of Sequim officials note would likely go to the east of Sequim proper, would boost the proposal about $2 million.
The board has yet to solidify the bond construction proposal, though, with other construction items left on the proverbial table. They include: major remodeling of the district base kitchen, transforming some science classrooms at Sequim High School into general education classrooms, remodeling of the current Helen Haller building for Olympic Peninsula Academy classes, and remodeling the Sequim Community School gymnasium into a district warehouse and maintenance shop.
The board meets again at 6 p.m. on Oct. 20 at the district boardroom, 533 N. Sequim Ave.
Watching dollars
District business manager Brian Lewis said Sequim schools are eligible for some state match funds to help with construction. Those funds, however, come with a catch, Lewis said. The district would have to add more than $6 million in “minor modernizations” to Greywolf Elementary to get about $2 million in state funds, or close portions of Helen Haller Elementary School to be eligible for other state funds.
“Closing of the current Helen Haller Elementary School to educational purposes really ties our hands,” Lewis said.
Lewis said district and state officials are looking into the possibility that Sequim schools would be eligible for state funding if the district declared the unused portion of Sequim Community School as surplus.
Sequim resident Jerry Sinn asked that the board consider taking design plans from Greywolf, Sequim’s elementary school in Carlsborg, for planning purposes in constructing the new elementary school.
Sinn also asked the board to consider developing a volunteer committee to help with design and engineering review.
“Considering that a significant portion of building a new facility is related to design and engineering requirements, this recommendation could result in appreciable savings for the district,” Sinn said.
Lewis said the district would save about $400,000 in costs by using plans from an existing school.
Howe said he’d be interested in such an approach.
“I’m looking at ways to lessen the impact on the community,” Howe said.
