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District unveils preferred Roosevelt School replacement plan; state to double maximum cost allowance for a tax‑neutral project
Summary
District leaders and architects presented a plan to remove the three‑story classroom wing at Theodore Roosevelt School, build a new 2‑story classroom addition, renovate common spaces and centralize community services; the state has approved doubling the maximum cost allowance (approximately $26 million), and the district expects the project to be tax neutral.
Dr. Thompson and architects from CSR presented a site history and a preferred design option for Theodore Roosevelt School at the Sept. 17 board meeting.
They said the 1970 construction included asbestos in building materials and that a facilities condition review concluded the classroom wing requires substantive intervention. After feasibility work, the district selected a plan to remove the existing three‑story classroom section and replace it with a primarily two‑story addition creating roughly 20 modern learning spaces for pre‑K through grade 5, while renovating the remaining gym, cafeteria and core spaces. New program elements would include distributed intervention rooms, a larger band room, a health clinic expansion, a food pantry for community use and a multipurpose room that could function as a teaching kitchen.
Dr. Thompson said the district worked with legislators and obtained approval to double the state maximum cost allowance — an atypical concession — producing a target maximum cost allowance of about $26,000,000. Architects said the funding combination of the maximum cost allowance, capital reserves and retiring debt should make the project tax neutral. The proposed timeline calls for a prereferendum phase now, a referendum vote by year‑end, design and approvals through 2025 and a bid phase in early 2026, with construction scheduled in a way that could require the school to be vacated for a period to expedite the build.
Board members asked about playground fencing, circulation and interior color opportunities; architects said specifics would be developed during schematic design and programming with stakeholder input. No referendum vote was taken at this meeting; the presentation was informational and intended to set up prereferendum outreach and review.
