After reading the school’s education plan and the building committee’s budget, I have several questions about the new school that I think we need to hear more about.
It looks like it costs $54 million to get an 85,000-sq.-ft. school. That’s a cost per square foot for production of $505 per square foot; the cost of consruction plus soft costs is roughly $635. The maximum state reimbursement seems to be about $300 per square foot.
Why is it that we need to spend twice as much as the state thinks it should cost? And this is cheaper than renovating a 30-year-old building? Really?
At $635 per square foot, it looks like a new gym at the elementary school costs about $5 million. The education plan I got from the school website says we need to spend that much because a few more people want to watch community basketball on a Saturday morning or to have yoga classes, and once in a blue moon for the high school kids to use the gym.
Since when is community basketball a big spectator sport? Don’t we already have a gym at the high school? Why can’t we use the community center at the old library or space upstairs at the General Store for yoga? Does this make sense?
The new cafeteria looks like it might cost about another $5 million. According to the education plan, we need this new cafeteria because the schools would like a better lunch schedule and to have cooking classes for grade schoolers, an “organic garden” on the roof, and a bigger stage for class plays. These are our priorities?
I don’t think it’s a good idea to spend $10 million for these reasons.
Jack Spero
Deerfoot Trail
