Clover Park School Board Gets Breakdown of Lakes Project

The construction of the new Lakes High School was the main topic Tuesday at the Clover Park School Board meeting at district headquarters.

While the four-phase project is scheduled to be completed in August, it was the first time that board members heard some of the specifics of the scope of work and the State Construction Assistance Program, also known as state match.

In October 2006, the $70 million project was presented with a breakdown of a $55 million bond, $13 million in state match and $2 million in district funds.

By January 2010, the project budget had changed to $80.4 million–with an increased contribution from the state. The state match of $23.05 million enabled the replacement of Lakes’ auxiliary gym–originally slated to be modernized–and a performing-arts center.

The latter was originally going to be just the shell of the facility, but CPSD was able to fill it in with the extra funds. Additionally, it became apparent during the process that the cost of replacing the swimming pool made more sense than renovating it, Wilson said.

The size of the school increased from the projected 149,407 square feet to the final of 170,687, said Lynn Wilson, the district’s director of business services, operations and capital projects.

“As the square footage increased, the cost factor kept increasing from state match,” Wilson said.

That resulted in an area cost allowance of $168.79 per square foot.

Board member Marty Schafer questioned the board approving just the shell of the PAC, and those that were sitting members at the time recalled its inclusion being an unknown at the time.

“I remember it being on the wish-list side,” said board president Walt Kellcy. “I think the PAC, for me, was not an initial priority, and I was surprised by how quickly it came in.”

Board Member Carole Jacobs agreed.

“I was surprised they were able to complete it in Phase I, because it was so questionable,” she said.

Wilson said that he suspected the district would not be as happy if an empty shell was built and the district had to figure out how to fill it in.

“In retrospect,” he said, “it worked out very well.”

But Kellcy questioned the necessity of the district’s contribution of $2 million given that they were able to purchase extras–and that there are other schools in need throughout CPSD.

“With all of the budget constraints on us from the state funding, and the local economy, to be able to go forward and find money without the state would not make me too happy to hear as a community member,” he said. “The question remains of whether the community at large benefitted from this versus the Lakes community.”

But Wilson maintained that they did not spend any more money than they received for the project. He also said that all state-match funds had to be spent on Lakes.

“As we got more state match, we were able to fill in the original scope,” he said of such projects as the PAC and auxiliary gym. “We’ll still have done Lakes on a very tight budget.”

In addition to replacing the athletic fields and track, at a cost of $3 million in local capital funds, $650,000 was approved to update the school's façade. The tennis courts also had to be demolished to make room for the 82,400-square-foot Pathway Wing; the replacement courts cost $650,000.

“I think the district should be proud of the product it built and the price we got,” Wilson said. “We couldn’t build a high school for $70 million. It wasn’t realistic.”

Board member Paul Wagemann said that he thought, “We got a good value for what we did here.”

Schafer agreed, calling the new Lakes High amazing.

“It exceeded my expectations,” he said.

Both Wilson and Superintendent Debbie LeBeau admitted that the district did not communicate as well as it should have with the board during the process.

“If we had, we may not have needed this session tonight,” Wilson said. “On all projects moving forward, there will be clarity.

LeBeau said that there were initial concerns about how to build a high school for $55 million.

“These are the things that transpired,” she said. “(But) we should have been more clear all along.”

Wilson said the district is currently going through the same process as a new Hudtloff Middle School is built, but is “doing some things differently” in regard to the scope of the project.

“We have a much more evolved, transparent process,” LeBeau said.