Pocahontas board votes to seek state partnership funding for high school addition including new gym

The Pocahontas School District board voted 5-0 Oct. 28 to direct staff to pursue state partnership funding for a high school addition that includes a new gym, with the option to scale back the plan later.

Board members spent much of the special meeting clarifying a state facilities-division question about whether the district intends to keep or demolish its existing gym. That determination affects how much new square footage the state will count as fundable for partnership dollars. Dr. R. Brule, who led the facilities discussion, said state site-visit notes suggested the gym would be kept, but the state’s funding calculations did not include the gym.

"When we walked into the gym the first thing that was stated . . . was, 'you're not getting a new gym,'" Dr. R. Brule recounted, describing what a state reviewer told district staff during a site visit. The board said the district must state its intent—keep the existing gym or request funding for a new one—so the facilities division can finalize its calculation.

Staff and Dr. Stein told trustees the facilities division approved 21,900 fundable square feet for the district’s application. District planning shows larger thresholds: a brand-new high school would total about 96,000 square feet, and because the district plans to demolish certain buildings and retain others the estimated need for new space is roughly 66,000 square feet.

The gym’s treatment materially affects partnership dollars. Board materials discussed the gym as roughly 13,000 square feet; staff estimated that tearing down the old gym and asking the state to fund a new gym would increase the state partnership amount by about $3 million. Building a new gym outright was described in the meeting as costing roughly $6 million. Trustees noted that any new large space built now would have to meet updated storm-shelter (safe-room) requirements, meaning a new gym could double as required shelter space.

Board members also discussed timing and flexibility. Staff said the district can request the higher state calculation by indicating it will demolish the old gym; later in planning, if bids and cost estimates rise, the district can scale the project back and the division would recalculate partnership funding. Trustees emphasized classroom space remains the district’s top priority but many argued a new gym would help public support for a bond or local funding.

A motion directing district staff to pursue state partnership funding for a high school addition that includes a new gym was moved, seconded and approved; the chair announced the motion carried unanimously, 5-0. The motion does not obligate the district to build the gym if later cost estimates make that infeasible; trustees discussed the application strategy as seeking the larger option with the intent to preserve flexibility.

Next steps identified at the meeting: staff will proceed with partnership-application work reflecting the inclusion of a new gym (while keeping the option to scale back), and return with cost estimates and further planning documents during upcoming work sessions.