By Doug Kott | The Brookings Register
BROOKINGS — The Brookings School District Board of Education is moving forward with plans for renovation of Brookings High School.
Jason Kann and Justin Kautz of Co-Op Architecture of Sioux Falls presented their assessment of the high school building and the career technical education building south of the high school at the board’s workshop Feb. 10 at Dakota Prairie Elementary School.
The architecture firm has been conducting its assessment the buildings since November.
Keutz said a significant portion of the high school roof and the roof of the CTE building should be replaced as soon as possible. He said several sections of the high school and the entire roof of the CTE building are due for replacement. He said the roofs in question have an old ballast system that is going on 31 years of age and have exceeded their useful life.
They also noted that the CTE building had some major issues that should be addressed as soon as possible.
There are drainage issues around the building foundation and the building needs to be painted.
Kann said they’re also some other building system components that need to be addressed that would be requirred with building renovation. Some units of the HVAC system are “outside of their useful life” and should be replaced. There are four units that should be replaced, one of which is in really bad shape and needs attention in the very near future.
He also said there is a problem with a chiller outside if the that is not functioning properly and that needs to be addressed soon.
Beyond the roof and heating system issues, the architects also proposed major renovations to the area of the building that house the science and special ed classrooms.
Those areas are in the portion of the building that was built in 1965 and should be updated. Kautz said most of the rooms serve as both classrooms and labs, which is not ideal for scheduling. And the equipment, plumbing fixtures and cabinetry are worn and outdated and some are defective. There is not access to natural light in the interior rooms. Gas isn’t flowing to all of the taps and water is not flowing to some of the taps. Storage space is lacking for the instructors. Access to power is inadequate. And the rooms have poor ventilation and basic safety features are missing. And the flooring in the rooms has asbestos tile and areas where the glue has started to release and the tiles have lifted.
He also noted that the current special ed classrooms have fluorescent lighting that is not dimmable. And not all spaces are ADA-compliant. And they said these issues should be addressed.
Kann and Kautz presented the board with plans to modernize the science area and provide an improved environment for both teachers and students.
In addition to the physical assessment, Co-Op Architecture conducted a community survey that received 762 responses from area residents, including students, parents, faculty and staff to identify community wants and need for the facility. And they used the data collected from the survey to help create the renovation plans.
The architects gave the expected price tag for the project. The overall price tag for all high, medium and low priority renovations is $29 million. The renovation would provide larger, better equipped modern classrooms with a more friendly environment for learners and instructors. The architects noted that price tag was for renovation of the existing structure. They said the board could also decide to for a demolition of the current area and complete rebuild of that portion of the building would push the cost to about $46 million.
Board president Deb DeBates said the board must consider the time element involved the process. It would take some time to get a bond passed to finance the project and the project would need to be built in phases that would take time. And as the time passes the construction costs would likely increase.
Brookings High School Principal Zach Thomas said the architects’ numbers were in line with what he expected for the project.
District Business Manager Stacey VanBeek informed the board that the district has enough capital outlay funding available to cover portions of the project deemed to be of highest priority for the project.
The board voted unanimously to seek bids for the areas of highest priority portions of the project, the cost of which could be covered by capital outlay funds. The board will decide at some point in the future whether or not to try to pass a bond issue to attain funding for the remainder of the project.
— Contact Doug Kott at [email protected].
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