News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
The new Sisters High School will be a one-story complex, but the school board is having trouble nailing down the price tag it will hang on the building.
The board is split over whether to use approximately $2 million in interest from bond fund reinvestment or return that money to the taxpayers.
After hours of often intense debate, motions floated and shot down, and no resolution in sight, the board agreed to hold a special meeting on Saturday evening, October 13, at 7 p.m. at Sisters High School to nail down the actual cost.
Steve Keeton argued that the board told voters they would build a $20 million school (with $450,000 additional earmarked to convert the existing high school into a middle school).
"To me, that means we return the interest (to taxpayers)," Keeton said.
Board chair Heather Wester concurred, saying "I think this is an opportunity to make good on our word."
The schematic designs currently being studied by the board assume that the interest money will be used in the project. Restricting the budget to the strict $20 million approved by voters would likely mean some cuts to gym facilities, playing fields, plaza areas and auditorium size, according to architect Scott Steele.
The schematic designs are based on a 162,500-square-foot school, designed to accommodate 600 students. That gives a capacious ratio of 213 square feet per student.
That's much higher than most schools, Keeton noted.
Summit High School in Bend has a ratio of 142 square feet per student.
Superintendent Steve Swisher noted that small-population schools often have higher square foot per student ratios because common areas like gyms, cafeterias and open spaces are the same size whether there's a big student population or a small one.
"There are certain efficiencies that you can never build into a small school," he said.
Steele noted that the one-story design approved by the board would likely somewhat reduce square footage.
"We're pretty confident with one story that we can trim it down ... to 159,000 square feet," the architect said.
Board members Glen Lasken and Bill Reed argued that committing to return the $2 million in interest would tie the district's hands. Reed noted that it is standard practice to use interest in a project.
"I really think that we should put the interest in the project and build absolutely the best facility we can for the community," Reed said.
Lasken moved to authorize the architect to continue plans based on having the interest money available. Cuts can come later, Lasken believes.
"I think we should have the option of spending that interest and endeavor to not spend it all," he said. "I'm not moving that we just spend the interest."
Keeton argued that the board should assume that all contingency and interest money will be spent if it is available.
"If, at the design phase, you authorize them (the architects) to use it, they're going to design a building to use it," Keeton said. "You're too late."
Lasken's motion to include the interest money was defeated by a 3-2 margin. But Keeton's motion to restrict the architects to a $20.5 million budget for the whole project and return the interest to taxpayers also failed 3-2.
Jeff Smith was the swing vote in both cases. He is comfortable that it is legitimate for the district to use interest money in the project, but he believes the scope can be cut back to where it is not needed.
"We can build a first-rate school that meets the needs of our students for less than $20.5 million," Smith asserted.
Mike Gould, a citizen who campaigned for the bond issue, told the board that he believes the voters handed the board a strict $20.5 million budget.
"I don't think we (the voters) said 'build a $20.5 million school plus interest,'" Gould said. "I think the issue is black-and-white. You have $20.5 million to build a school."
The issue of what was promised voters may be more significant than the exact money involved.
Superintendent Steve Swisher noted that each $1 million translates to 6 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation on an individual's property tax bill. That adds up to $9 on a $150,000 home.
Keeton said the actual dollar amount is less significant than keeping faith with the voters who were promised rebates if money was available.
Yet Bill Reed argued that voters are expecting a nice auditorium and other facilities and aren't looking for a rebate.
"I don't think the voters expect to get any money back," he said.
Time is getting short, according to the architects. Steele said that his team can't really go forward on detailed planning until he's given a solid dollar figure -- and each week of delay pushes the bidding and construction schedule back a week.
The board was able to agree on a one-story classroom wing design, using skylights to bring natural light into interior classrooms.
In other action, the board decided to hold off on awarding a contract to pave a dirt and gravel loop road behind the current Sisters High School because bid came in approximately $20,000 higher than expected.
Hap Taylor and Sons was the low bidder at $66,893. There is an additional $5,000 in engineering fees tied up in the project.
The paving is part of the scope of work for converting the school to a middle school and money was budgeted for it in the bond request.
However, actual remodel costs have not been determined and board members were ultimately reluctant to spend the money on the paving until other remodel costs are better understood.
The remodel project will include some carpet changes, reconfiguring sight-lines from the offices to the entrances, changing out some windows and converting a single large classroom into two smaller ones.
Work would likely start the summer before the new high school opens.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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