By Sarah Arnold, Editor
After two referendums, District 302 is left with extra money because the new middle school cost less than expected.
The district originally budgeted $47 million to build HMS, and estimates that the final cost will be $36.6 million. Only $31.9 million of that has been paid so far, but HMS will be under construction for about six more weeks, Dr. Julie-Ann Fuchs, assistant superintendent of business, said, so the final cost is still an estimate. When the board set a budget for the referendum, they estimated the cost and added 10 percent to cover unexpected costs. Because the housing market slowed, construction bids were competitive and prices fell.
“We’re still deciding [where to spend the money]. Some of the extra money will go to special construction projects,” school board member Diane Piazza said.
According to Piazza, the school is considering adding the road extensions and construction around the new middle school, which would cost an estimated $1.5 million.
“When you have roads that connect together, it makes it easier for trucks and development,” school board member Melissa Taylor said.
Additional projects under consideration are a place to store maintenance and athletic gear at the middle school, and partial replacement of the high school’s leaky roof, Fuchs said.
“We don’t want to spend $300,000 on moving the dirt pile. We acknowledge there is concern that it is there, but it is not worth the money we would have to spend on it,” Piazza said. “What we are hoping for in the end is that we would be able to use the surplus for some of the needed projects and still have surplus that we will not use.”