Johnston School Board Picks Architectural Firm For New High School

And then there was one.

The Johnston school board on Monday approved negotiationg with an architectural firm for the proposed new tenth- to 12th-grade high school.

After contacting more than 20 firms and interviewing three firms, the board accepted a recommendation to enter into discussions with FRK Architects in partnership with Perkins & Wills Architecture.

"I thought it was a good process," Superintendent Clay Guthmiller said of choosing a firm. "It was a tough decision, but I think the (physical environment) committee came to a consensus."

The proposed , estimated to cost between $72 and $75 million, was approved by the board in November.

Guthmiller announced to the board that the district closed on about  on Dec. 29.

Over the last two months, the Physical Environment Committee met to discuss the district's architectural needs and interview firms.

The committee explored hiring an architectural firm or a construction management firm, Guthmiller said.

Ultimately, the discussion came down to three local firms: FRK/Perkins & Wills, DLR Architects and RDG Architects.

FRK has previously built facilities for the district. For this project, the partnered with national architectural firm Perkins & Wills in Chicago, a move that hooked the committee.

"For me it came down to FRK is going above and beyond reaching out to Perkins & Wills that has national experience," said board member Julie Walters. "They worked it out … to bring something new and different."

Board member Greg Dockum said the entire process was impressive.

"You could tell from all the people we brought in and all the firms, how important this school is," he said. "They brought all their best people. When we went down the pros and cons for DLR and FRK, it was just almost side by side.

"We get the best of both worlds, we get a local firm that has built schools in our district that we can be proud of. We have the added benefit of working with an award-winning firm (Perkins & Wills)," he said.

The board, with members Mike Farrell and Jill Morrill absent, voted unanimously to enter into contract discussions with FRK/Perkins & Wills.

"There is quite a bit of work that needs to be done between striking a contract with FRK and the end of the school year," Guthmiller said. "There's a lot of work that needs to be done and preparation for a bond election this fall."