Board hears Old Slade asbestos and demolition update; considers athletic-fields sale and new transportation/maintenance facility

Trustees received updates on several district property and facilities issues, including Old Slade, the Laramie athletic fields and the district’s transportation/maintenance needs.

Randy Wilkinson told the board crews found vermiculite in Old Slade block at less than 1% asbestos and said the Wyoming DEQ and the City of Laramie have advised the district it does not need abatement at that threshold. “We do not have to abate that because it’s less than 1%,” Wilkinson said, and he estimated abatement work would wrap in about two weeks followed by demolition and backfill work.

Wilkinson said the Old Slade demolition mobilization will take roughly 3.5 months and that the building teardown should take about 40 days; he estimated substantial completion would be in 2025 or 2026 depending on weather and sequencing.

On Laramie athletic fields, Wilkinson said the parcel is about 27 acres (the district is allowed up to 12 acres for an elementary) and is considered excess; he outlined options including replatting parcels for sale, seeking School Facilities Commission (SFC) approval, or asking the SFC for demolition funds to prepare the property for market. Trustees asked for appraisals and comparable-sale information before committing to any sale and flagged community-value considerations for neighborhood play space.

Trustees also discussed converting the Skyline/transportation footprint and moving grounds and warehouse operations into the excess parcel. Wilkinson said a 120-by-60 maintenance/warehouse shell could be built for roughly $1.2 million (concrete shell and basic utilities) though interior finishing would add additional costs. He listed specific near-term projects and cost estimates: roughly $30,000 to fill a loading dock, about $50,000–$62,000 to add new bay doors and a bus wash.

Trustees emphasized employee working conditions: transportation staff currently perform some repairs outdoors in winter and managers said better bays, a wash bay and storage would produce operational savings and improved safety. Wilkinson and other trustees said some of the work could be partially reimbursable by transportation grants or considered under SFC major maintenance funding.

No binding vote was taken on sale or construction. Trustees asked staff for demolition cost details, timelines for SFC steps, replatting options, and a clearer estimate of long-term operational savings before scheduling any sale or construction action.