The USD 490 Board of Education was presented with a summary of the suggestions on repurposing buildings that would be vacated if the bond issue passed for the new facilities.
"One of the issues that we are hoping to address as a board is better communication about plans for buildings that are not used if you build the buildings," said Superintendent Sue Givens.
The proposed ideas are dependent on outside interest in the facilities and include such things as selling them to churches, using them for office space, apartments, business incubators and moving other district programs there.
She was asking the board to narrow down the list, which came from the Facilities Task Force, further to provide staff with some direction on which ones to pursue.
They decided to look at those ranked four and above as serious options for the middle school and elementary buildings.
"Are we headed in the right direction with facilities?" BOE Member Dan Ingalls questioned. "Do we take remodel completely out? Is now the time, are we going to sit on it?"
Givens said the approach they decided on in their last work session was to provide the task force with information about possible sites and repurposing, then allow them to inform the community and do another survey to see if they want to continue to move forward.
BOE Member Tom Storrer felt it would be helpful to move people one way or the other if they had some idea how much it would cost to make the current middle school comparable to surrounding districts. That would show that expense and how it compared to what they were proposing for the new facility both in cost and functionality.
"I don't think the public knows all of that background, so they're assuming it's not been done or looked at," said BOE Member Bernie Spradling. "I think we need to show that option (remodeling) and what it would be."
BOE Member Vicki Coash added that to do that they would have to include the cost of buying houses for additional parking if they wanted to compare "apples to apples."
Givens is going to ask the committee to bring back a narrowed down picture of those costs and comparisons.
Storrer also wanted to let the public know eventually they are paying for one or the other, either new or remodeling.
"Let them know we have looked at the price of remodeling versus the price of a new building," he said.
BOE Member Leon Leachman agreed the public doesn't know what all is needed.
"I think so many people drive by the middle school and say it looks so good," he said. "They don't know what it looks like on the inside."
He felt they needed to point out what needs to be done to it and what the standards are.
The board will continue looking at the issue.
