Johnston School Board Approves Purchase of Land for New High School

And you thought your Black Friday shopping bill was big.

The Johnston school board unanimously approved the purchase of up to 125 acres to be used for a new high school and other facilities.

The land, situated west of Northwest 100th Street and north of Northwest 62nd Avenue, came at a price of $46,000 per acre. The total price would be an estimated $5,75 million.

Superintendent Clay Guthmiller said the price was a bit more than fair market value.

"The land will accommodate new facilities," Guthmiller said. "The most prominent is the new high school.

"The land offers flexibility of the district to offer new buildings," he said. "The location is an appropriate fit for the growth plan."

Guthmiller said the land could also be used for a new middle school or elementary school.

However, the most talked of facility is the already approved construction of the 325,000-square-foot high school. The building is expected to cost about $72 to $75 million.

The plan also includes the repurposing of the current high school to house middle school students and the renovations needed to move students from Wallace Elementary to the current middle school is estimated between $18 and $21.5 million. The estimates do not include any renovations to the current Wallace building.

Board member Deb Henry questioned the offer's language on the amount of land.

"It says up to 125 acres, is there a question of the land," she asked.

Guthmiller said that because a land survey hasn't been completed, there is an area in the north of the property in question.

"It would likely be 123 to 125 acres," Guthmiller said.

Building on the land would also require some type of road construction.

The school district is working with the city of Johnston and Foth Consultants to perform a traffic study in the area. The study is not to exceed $24,000.

Guthmiller said the estimated closing on the land purchase would be Dec. 28 or Dec. 29.

The board approved the purchase with no discussion besides Henry's question.

Board member Jill Morrill thanked Guthmiller and staff for their work on securing the land.

The board will meet for a work session to further discuss options in repurposing the current middle school and use of Wallace Elementary.

Guthmiller proposed the session to be from 4 to 6 p.m. on Dec. 12, before a regular board meeting.

School Facilities Public Information Meeting
With work continuing to finalize the district's ten-year facilities plan, the district is reaching out to the community by hosting a facilities meeting on Dec. 7.

District administrators will provide a progress report on the proposal to build a new 10- to 12-grade high school, moving the eighth- and ninth-grade students to the current high school and the potential repurposing of the current Johnston Middle School and Wallace Elementary buildings.

The district will also share information regarding the timeline for the proposed construction of the district's sixth elementary school.

The community is invited to the meeting at 7 p.m. Dec. 7 at Johnston Middle School.