School begins studying future building needs

Clinton School Board members took the first step in preparing for the district’s next bond issue in 2020 by giving Superintendent of Schools Kevin Hime the authority to enter into a contract with an architectural firm and the Joe D. Hall Construction Company. 
In both contracts, the construction company and architectural firm will provide their expertise to determine what improvements need to be made at each school site and what it will cost. The companies are paid for their services only if the bond issue is ultimately passed. 
“Basically, what we’re trying to find out is what we can get done with a bond issue without raising taxes,” said Hime. “Then we get with an architect and a construction company to find out what we can do with that amount of money.”
When the construction company walks through the aging buildings, Hime said they’ll be looking at whether something can be remodeled or needs to be replaced, and the costs for each option. 
“If you can remodel something and make it meet 2020 building codes for $150 per square foot, that probably beats building something new for $250 per square foot,” he said. “But if it’s going to cost almost $250 a square foot to remodel it, then you might be better off getting something brand new.”
Once he has a list of the maintenance and improvement projects that need to be done at each site, and their costs, at that point a committee is formed to help the board decide how funds will be spent. 
“Everybody is going to have some suggestions (about how funds should be spent), but at some point you’re going to put together a committee of principals, parents, teachers and people from the community,” said Hime. “You’ve got to get lots of people involved, because everyone in the community needs to feel like they have a say-so in what our schools will look like in the next 10 to 15 years.
“Then everyone sits down with the architects and the construction company, who will answer questions and share their knowledge. Then the committee comes up with a game plan and they take that to the board. If the board feels good about the game plan then it’s ready to put out to a vote of the people.” 
The last bond issue passed in Clinton was in 2010. Hime said the process of determining what will be on the 2020 bond issue is a lengthy one, and he didn’t expect it to be completed until October of 2019 at the earliest.