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Banks SD 13: master-plan review estimates $31.8M–$35.8M for high-school work; board to pick concept Jan. 28
Summary
At a community forum recap, district staff and consultants presented two high-school concepts (both based on roughly 43,000 sq ft of new construction) and walked the board through cost assumptions: $740/sq ft for new construction (≈$31.82M) and $800/sq ft to remodel the district office (≈$8.4M), yielding a Concept 2 estimate of about $35.78M; schematic design and technical investigations (seismic scope, electrical refeed, hazardous-materials abatement) remain to be refined.
Banks School District staff and their consulting team reviewed community feedback and two campus master-plan concepts, focusing on options for replacing or renovating the high school and on budget assumptions the district used to estimate costs.
The presentation reiterated the district’s planning assumption of roughly 43,000 square feet of new construction for the high-school component. Using a planning-level figure of $740 per square foot for new construction produced a $31,820,000 estimate for the 43,000-square-foot new building. For the existing district office — 10,500 square feet — the team used a $800-per-square-foot remodel assumption that produced an $8.4 million retrofit estimate. After accounting for program offsets from remodeled space and other efficiencies, the team said Concept 2 as drawn would be about $35.78 million while Concept 1’s figure was about $31.8 million, a roughly $4 million difference driven largely by scope and the district-office treatment.
“We were told a good number to use now at an appropriate level of risk is $740 per square foot,” the superintendent said, describing a conservatively chosen planning figure that includes inflation assumptions and contingency buffers. He cautioned that the figures are planning-level, not precise, and depend on schematic-design decisions: how much existing district-office space can be repurposed, how many hallways and bathrooms need to be rebuilt, and what mechanical and electrical upgrades are required.
Board members and consultants also flagged technical areas that will change cost and schedule during schematic design. A hazardous-materials survey is under way to test floor tile and walls for asbestos or lead paint; if abatement is required, that work will be contracted separately. Consultants noted that replacement work often uncovers additional structural or piping issues (for example, gas piping or ceiling-grid conditions) that can increase scope. Several members raised concerns about electrical distribution: if large portions of the campus are removed, the district may need new distribution panels and a main electrical room, which would be captured in schematic design and could add material cost.
The district highlighted engagement and next steps: the master-plan report draft is available for review, the board is scheduled to decide between concepts on Jan. 28, the bond oversight committee meets Feb. 27, design-team applications will be solicited in February, and a follow-up community forum is tentatively planned for April as schematic design progresses. Staff said some early work — hazardous-material sampling, small demolition or grading packages — can be staged before full site excavation, but most site work will depend on seasonal timing and the schematic schedule.
The board requested additional detail on net-to-gross assumptions (teams used a 35% allowance and a 5,500–6,500-square-foot range for offsets in modeling) and asked staff to provide clearer line items for items such as locker-room upgrades and electrical refeeds. The superintendent and consultants said more precise scopes and cost estimates will be developed during schematic design and presented to the board and the bond oversight committee.
