The Estacada School District Board of Directors voted to authorize the district to spend up to $275,000 to construct a new fitness center at Estacada High School, board members said at their Jan. 8 meeting. The motion passed by voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded.

Superintendent Carpenter told the board the structure — described in district documents as a pole‑barn style “fitness center” — is intended to address growing space needs for daily physical education requirements and extracurricular programs. Carpenter said the new facility will free existing space for wrestling and other padded activities and provide additional classroom capacity for PE, which the district says is in greater demand as enrollment rises.

Carpenter said the $275,000 figure replaces an incorrect amount originally printed in the agenda packet ($258,620); board members first approved amending the agenda to correct that number. He also said the $275,000 estimate includes the building, HVAC and electrical work and includes a contingency.

Board discussion covered who will use the space, funding offsets and site amenities. Carpenter noted the district has applied for an OSAA participation grant that can provide up to $10,000 toward new equipment inside the fitness center. He also said the district plans to seek private donations to offset costs and possibly attach a facility name recognition to a donor.

Board members pressed staff on basic amenities. District staff confirmed the proposed structure does not include plumbing or restrooms in the base scope; a local contractor gave an early estimate of about $80,000 to extend water and add plumbing to the building, and the board paused on plumbing to keep the project affordable. Staff agreed to obtain a cost estimate to “future proof” the site by trenching or otherwise routing utilities so bathrooms could be added later at lower cost.

Carpenter and other speakers emphasized the project is intended for daily instructional use, not solely athletics. He said the fitness center will support expanded offerings for middle and high school PE classes, allow growth of women’s wrestling and other after‑school programs, and reduce pressure to deploy portable classrooms.

The board voted by voice in favor of the motion; no individual vote names were recorded on the transcript.

The district’s operations director, Mike Ware, said the board’s capital construction fund does not currently include funds for adding restrooms and that the district will investigate donor or other funding options to address that need in future phases.

Votes at a glance for this meeting: the motion to authorize spending up to $275,000 for the fitness center passed by voice vote. The board also approved a separate motion to transfer ongoing audit services (see separate article).