Plum School Board to discuss needs, cost of work at O'Block, middle schools

The Plum School Board will discuss how to pay for work at two of the district’s schools during a meeting in June.

The board also will address priorities at Plum Middle and O’Block Elementary schools, separating needs from wants, board President Michael Devine said.

“I can tell you off the bat, we have to address HVAC issues sooner than later,” he said.

The board will talk about the work being contemplated during its discussion meeting at 7 p.m. June 13 at Plum Senior High School.

A facilities assessment study by Hayes Design Group Architects and Weber Murphy Fox has identified $63.7 million worth of work that could be undertaken at both schools, including construction of additions, major to minor renovations and site work.

The total estimated construction cost at Plum Middle School is about $31.3 million, with a total project cost of $37.1 million when construction contingency and soft costs are added. At O’Block, the total estimated construction cost is about $22.5 million, with construction contingency and soft costs taking that to $26.6 million.

O’Block houses kindergarten through fourth grade, while the middle school houses seventh and eighth grades.

Superintendent Brendan Hyland said the board approved spending up to $48,000 to assess the schools.

“We wanted to ascertain the condition of both O’Block Elementary and Plum Middle School and determine the life left in the buildings,” Hyland said. “The answer we got back was that both buildings have a sound structure, with a generally good exterior envelope condition. However, many of the buildings’ components and mechanical systems are outdated and in need of renovation including windows, doors, HVAC systems and lighting.”

Devine also said the assessment found the buildings are structurally good, but have outdated components, such as HVAC that need to be addressed immediately.

The report also includes a wish list.

“If we were able to do everything in the proposal, it would give us space for full-day kindergarten, it would update our special education program,” Devine said. “It’s a true overhaul of these two buildings to get them into the modern day and be ready to go.”

Devine said HVAC and other needs are likely to be addressed within the next school year or two. Other considerations could go into a five- to 10-year plan.

Highlights of the facilities assessment of O’Block include addressing HVAC issues throughout the building; replacing all exterior doors and windows; repairing the structural floor slab at bathrooms near the gym; updating finishes throughout the building; and addressing accessibility improvements including the playground.

For programming, the highlights are adding five classrooms; increasing the size and number of special education classroom spaces; creating a flexible, large group instruction space; addressing the function of the administration and school resource offices and nurse suite; and addressing parking, parent drop-off, site circulation and playground issues.

A new addition would contain 17,000 square feet, while another 68,000 square feet of the building would receive some level of renovation. Parking spaces would increase from 82 to 159 during school hours and from 150 to 227 during off hours.

At the middle school, highlights of the facilities assessment include addressing issues at the loading dock area above an old wrestling room; replacing or upgrading HVAC systems; removing and replacing roofs over the gym and classroom wing; replacing all kitchen equipment; replacing all exterior doors and windows; and addressing issues related to the football field and walking track.

Programming highlights include increasing the size and number of spaces for special education; repurposing the auditorium into large group instruction spaces and a flexible band room; increasing the size of the cafeteria and kitchen; reorganizing administrative offices and moving the nurse suite to near the front of the building; and reorganizing tech ed and art classroom spaces.

A middle school addition would be 10,500 square feet, with another 115,000 square feet being renovated.

How the district will pay for the work is a good question, Devine said.

“I think borrowing money is always a last option. It depends on what the cost of the must-haves are and how they fit into our projects,” he said. “All options are on the table. We’ll have the experts weigh in. The board will look at all of the options and figure out what is the most fiscally responsible way to go about the projects.”

According to Hyland, the district’s annual debt cost is $7.3 million and its total outstanding principal is $98.7 million. Under its current payment schedule, the debt will be paid off in 2040.

The last major renovation was done at Holiday Park Intermediate School in 2015, Hyland said.

The district is scheduled to do a demographic study in 2023-24 to look at population trends. Hyland said the last two such studies showed flat enrollment.

“That will give us the proper data to make informed decisions about any physical plant work that should be done related to space in the building,” Hyland said.