As the Wright City R-II School District awaits the April vote that will decide on funding for a new high school and other facility construction, architects are tightening up their plans in order to …
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As the Wright City R-II School District awaits the April vote that will decide on funding for a new high school and other facility construction, architects are tightening up their plans in order to keep the core of the project within the budget proposed to voters.
The school district has two no-tax-increase propositions, which would generate $37 million and $15 million, on election ballots in April. Those propositions would pay for construction of a new high school campus south of town, between Highway F and Roelker Road, as well as renovation of the current high school as an administration building and an expansion at Wright City East Elementary.
Construction likely would begin in late fall, if one or both funding measures are approved.
The R-II School Board reviewed updated construction plans and cost estimates during their monthly meeting on Feb. 17. The most notable updates were aimed at controlling costs by removing certain redundant or extra features from what officials describe as the “core” project plan.
Project architect Art Bond said around five redundant class spaces in the new high school plans were either merged with other classrooms or removed in order to reduce the building’s footprint by about 9,000 square feet. A series of other features, mostly involving athletic and performance facilities, have been separated out as extras that will be included in the construction if they fit in the budget, but will otherwise be saved for the future.
Plans for the expansion at East Elementary were also updated. Eight planned new classrooms have been reduced to four, with room for four more in the future. However, the new classes that do get built will be structurally reinforced to act as a tornado shelter, something the school doesn’t currently have, so the change isn’t a strict downgrade in the plans.
All of these adjustments were made to keep the core of the school district’s construction plans within a $37 million budget. That’s how much money the district would receive through Proposition 1967, which would give the district permission to use its capital improvements tax to secure a bond loan for the core elements of the construction.
A second ballot issue, Proposition 2025, would allow the school district to borrow another $15 million. That money would be used to build a road between Highway F and Roelker Road, as well as additional high school facilities that are listed as extra or future items in the core plan.
Because of certain state rules and restrictions surrounding school district financing, Proposition 2025 asks voters to move the district’s tax revenue from one district fund to another in order to carry out this borrowing. No overall tax increase is anticipated.
These are the current cost estimates for the three facility construction projects:
• New high school — $30 million
• Old high school renovation to admin building — $1.2 million
• East Elementary expansion — $1.6 million
• Cost estimates are not yet available for additional facilities or features at the new high school that aren't part of the core project.
Growth in elementary-age enrollment spurred district leaders to include the expansion of East Elementary in their construction budget. When it was noted that the expansion wing should also be structurally reinforced to serve as a storm shelter, that significantly increased the cost per square foot of construction, Bond said. That's why plans for the expansion were scaled back from eight classrooms to four, with the remaining classes planned as a future addition.
The planned storm shelter area will hold up to 600 people, more than enough for the school’s future occupancy, Bond added.
Superintendent Chris Berger said East Elementary is currently at its enrollment capacity with 270 students, and that each new classroom would expand its capacity by about 25 students. This likely won’t be the last expansion as the Wright City area continues to see a population boom, he said.
“In the district master plan, East (Elementary) will be a high priority to address again. It’s probably inevitable,” said Berger.
