Timeline set for Washington Middle School project

Washington school district Superintendent Willie Stone set out a timeline for the approval of the middle school project. Stone presented the timeline to the school board Wednesday night.

“We set the date for when we want the bond referendum to be, and we’re working our way backward,” Stone said.

The bond referendum vote will be on Sept. 14.

However, the decision still needs to be made regarding which direction the district will take regarding the project.

Currently, four options are being considered: repairing and renovating the 100-year-old building, rebuilding a portion of the current building, adding on to the high school or building an entirely new building.

A complete renovation of the current building is estimated to cost from $22 million to $26 million.

Rebuilding a portion of the current building would cost from $26 million to $30 million.

Adding on to the high school would cost $30 million to $34 million.

Building an entirely new school building would cost $29 million to $32 million.

Stone said he is seeking as much public comment as possible regarding the four options.

“We’re trying to do as much as we can,” he said. “We’re trying to get as many people to take our survey as possible and give us input.

“We want to hear from the community and collect what they think is best for us moving forward and what they’re going to support. Ultimately, it’s going to come down to what they are willing to support.”

There is currently a survey on the main page of the district’s website, www.washington.k12.ia.us/.

The survey, which is also available in Spanish, gives details of each option, as well as pros and cons. People are asked to select their two preferred options.

Stone said the district had received 468 responses as of the beginning of this week.

“My goal is to have over a thousand,” he said. “That’s why we’re trying to get it out in the community better.”

The district will hold a community informational meeting next week to give residents another opportunity to look at the options and ask questions. As of Thursday morning, no date had been set.

Stone said he is having several information boards printed that can be displayed at banks, stores and other businesses in the community.

“They will have QR codes on the bottom, where you can use your phone to take a picture, and it’ll take you directly to the link with all of the information on it, with all the pros and cons,” he said. “The surveys are at the very bottom of them.”

Stone reiterated that he does not have a preference as to what option is selected.

“I don’t care what happens, but we’re at the point where something has to happen,” he said.

In May, the options will be narrowed to the top two.

A second community meeting would be held the week of May 10 to weigh the two options.

Project architects and engineers will update the concept and costs of the two options before the school board confirms the selected option in June.

Another community information meeting would be held in late June to provide detailed information on the selected option, and the effort to gather signatures to get the bond referendum on the Sept. 14 ballot will begin.