With a promise that most construction will be complete before the 2005-2006 school year begins, the architects hired by Clarkston Community Schools have offered the first look at proposed renovations and additions.
“The goal is to have most of these projects up and running by August 2005,” French Associates representative Doug LaFerle said at Monday’s school board meeting.
The only part of the $83.7 million bond project that may continue into fall 2005 is renovation of Community Education Center.
Officials stressed that most of the proposed designs have yet to be presented to the “response teams” at each school building. Those meetings are in process to get feedback and suggestions on how the designs can best suit program needs.
“We’ll implement the suggestions as we get them” LaFerle said.
The French Associates team presented preliminary drawings of how buildings may look with the various additions and renovations. Highlights included:
Pine Knob Elementary – The proposal is to add an additional seven classrooms. Original plans called for only six, but an existing classroom will be eliminated during renovation, and LaFerle said the additional classroom still comes in under the projected square-foot projections.
Sashabaw Middle School – The building slated to house sixth and seventh grades will get a new two-story addition, with the existing building renovated to allow two “schools within a school.” In each of those divisions, plans are to group classrooms into four separate “houses.”
The concept is intended to give flexibility in student grouping and to give students a feeling of closeness in their grade level.
Clarkston Middle School – LaFerle said the renovation design there is “pretty easy,” with plans to build a new 650-seat auditorium, a new auxiliary gymnasium and storage area and an expanded cafeteria.
The current auditorium will be converted into a “large group instruction area,” and trustees briefly discussed possibilities for the existing stage area.
Community Education Center – The building housing the Renaissance High School, adult education and community enrichment programs may take longer to complete because of the extent of renovation to the art deco style building. Plans are in work to locate classes in one side of the building while the other is being renovated, LaFerle said.
“They won’t have all the space they normally have, but they will have enough space,” he said.
When complete, the first floor is expected to house the Renaissance High School, while the second will be home to other programs.
Administration/Early Childhood Center – The proposed concept will offer a separate building for preschool programs, but will connect to the current administrative building.
LaFerle presented a rough sketch of the new building’s appearance and an expanded floor plan of the administrative center, which will eventually house all administrative offices for student support services and special education.
A new addition is proposed for a new board of education meeting room, which may also be used for large preschool events.
Trustee Tony Miller asked if the various projects should be listed in priority order, “in case we run out of money,” but LaFerle said the schedule is designed to take advantage of “economy of scale” in various building trade areas.
In addition, the timeline includes firm cost estimates at each step of the building process.
“We won’t proceed until we know we are under budget,” LaFerle said.
Superintendent Al Roberts said budget precautions are being taken, “holding onto some dollars” earmarked for equipment and materials.
“Our first priority is to get all these physical plants done,” Roberts said. “We can’t afford to put off any one of these projects.”