Holton B.O.E. discusses middle school's future

In a one-hour special meeting to discuss facilities planning with two representatives from the HTK Architects firm of Topeka, prior to their regular July meeting, Holton school board members last Wednesday evening discussed whether it would be better for the district to renovate the existing middle school, or replace it with a new one.

At the special meeting, the board also discussed the idea presented of moving the existing football stadium down the hill north to the track facility and adding artificial turf to the football field.

The special board meeting and the regular one were both held at the high school library.

The two HTK Architects, who met with the board at its February meeting earlier this year, reviewed with board members a list of district needs that had been identified earlier by district site council members, a volunteer group of about 40 community members (many Holton alumni), teachers and administrators, it was reported.

There have been about six district site council meetings this year and about three more district site council meetings with HTK officials are planned, it was reported. 

Board members were told that “changes in education needs at each building’’ had been one of the focuses of the site council meetings along with the mounting maintenance costs associated with maintaining some existing facilities, most notably the middle school building, it was reported.

The cost of renovating the middle school versus demolishing it and building a new one range from about $22 million to $29 million, board members were told. One of the specific needs identified for the middle school was a second gymnasium or a similar multi-purpose space and a commons area.

Board members generally expressed doubts about the idea of building a new stadium with a turf football field down at the district’s track facility due to flood concerns from the nearby creek.

It was reported at the special meeting that the district’s current bond issue used to build the new elementary school was scheduled to be paid off by 2039 but could be paid off as early as 2031.

Board members generally agreed that a new bond issue with no mill increase, over what the district already levies with the existing bond issue, would be a good selling point for district patrons.

To read the rest of the article, please subscribe to The Holton Recorder.