What Could Johnston's Proposed $75 Million High School Look Like? Take a Peek

Johnston residents wondering what the proposed new high school might look like can get a glimpse on Thursday evening.

Johnston school district leaders presented the media with a rendering of the proposed new tenth- to 12th-grade building at a meeting Monday regarding the upcoming bond referendum.

Residents will go to the polls on Sept. 11 to determine if the district can bond . The total estimated cost for the building is $75 million, additional funding will come from sales tax and physical plant and equipment levy funds.

The building's 21st century design, which echoes that of a college campus, would be located west of Northwest 100th Street and north of Northwest 62nd Avenue.

The concept of the school, which will have a 1,800 student capacity, came from a series of day-long committee meetings including stakeholders, students, teachers and other volunteers.

David Briden, senior architect with FRK, who has been commissioned to design the building, said the facility is designed to meet the current and future needs of the district.

"We asked those in the committee to think of the future of teaching and learning," he said. "Four common themes emerged: flexibility, student-centered, a college campus feel, and sustainability," he said.

The building is grouped into two zones - core academics spaces and shared specialty space.

The core academic spaces are configured around a common atrium with a re-envisioned media center in the center. The core academic spaces were designed for flexible planning and to foster collaboration and interdisciplinary project-based learning, Briden said.

The shared specialty space includes a cafeteria, gym, auditorium, technical education areas and more.

With just five weeks until the bond vote, the district is working to ensure voters are knowledgable on all aspects of the referendum.

Four scheduled community meetings will include information on the proposed high school, as well as, information on the district's broader facility plan.

The $122.3 million facility plan includes repurposing the current high school to an eighth- and ninth-grade building, repurposing the current eighth- and ninth-grade building to house Wallace Elementary and a district-wide preschool program and converting Wallace to a district administration building.

A majority of the project costs will be paid for by sales tax and physical plant and equipment levy funds.

During Monday's meeting, Superintendent Clay Guthmiller said if the bond issue passes, the district could break ground on the new school in the spring of 2013, with an occupancy date scheduled for July 2015.

Guthmiller said the biggest thing now is to make sure people are knowledgable voters.

Community information meetings are scheduled for 7 p.m. at Johnston Middle School on:

• Thursday, Aug. 9
• Monday, Aug. 20
• Wednesday, Aug. 29
• Thursday, Sept. 6

For continued coverage of the Johnston school district bond election sign up for the Johnston Patch Newsletter.

Previous facility stories can be found here.