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Superintendent: declining enrollment and rising costs complicate school planning; new high school could exceed $50 million
Summary
Superintendent Harwell told the commission student enrollment has fallen about 270 students in recent years and that building a new Liberty High School would likely cost more than $50 million. He recommended updating the education element with current numbers before the plan goes public.
Superintendent Harwell told the planning commission the education element of the comprehensive plan should be updated with more recent enrollment and facility data before public release. He said district-wide enrollment had declined by roughly 270 students over the last few years but noted early indicators of a small uptick.
"We're down about 270 students," Harwell said, and warned that building a new high school would be a multiyear, multimillion-dollar undertaking: "If we built a Liberty High School, which would be over $50,000,000, probably more than that now, because material costs and things like that continue to go up." Harwell recommended the county coordinate with school planning offices because school capital needs and timing factor into land-use and infrastructure planning.
Harwell also outlined how grants and targeted use of federal funds (for example, ESSER dollars used previously) helped fund past additions and purchases. Commissioners agreed staff should solicit current enrollment numbers and the school board's five- and 10-year facility plans to align future land-use recommendations.
