USD 333 BOND PLANNING HISTORY

Superintendent Quentin Breese and the Board of Education began a Strategic Planning and Master Facility Planning journey as Mr. Breese began his superintendency in the summer of 2016.  A review of a 2011 facility master plan conducted by Jerry McCall was considered, including ideas to purchase new land and construct a "phase" of a new high school near Cloud County Community College. While the 2011 provided merit for discussion,  Board Goals were established and an expectation to better utilize current resources that were set by the 7 member USD 333 Board of Education. Concrete deterioration, extensive bus maintenance costs, band equipment decline, auditorium sound system malfunctions, custodial floor machine failures, passenger vehicle maintenance issues, track surface decline, gym floor failures, outdated HVAC components, deteriorating plumbing, electrical capacity limitations, and roofing decline began to identify themselves as expenses that were out pacing the capital outlay budget generated annually. A capital improvement plan was established in the summer of 2017, to establish an allocation guide in working our way through our list of needs. The USD 333 Board of Education found out general fund and capital outlay resources were unable to accomodate the drastic needs of the district that continues to grow year after year. The district then engaged the services of Ebert Mayo Architects and Engineers, Manhattan, Kansas to assist us in our Master Facility Plan by completing an extensive study of our current facilities and trends in education.

Mike Mayo and his team established costs of renovation to the 1929 structure exceeding the $50-$60 million mark for improvements to CHS while additional $10-$20 million in estimates in grade level configuration changes to both the K-4 attendance center and the 5th 6th grade attendance center.  Conversations ceased with the Board of Education as the information revealed a much much larger expenditure than was anticipated. The board wanted to ensure that proper estimates were being defined in the process so the school district engaged in the service of McCownGordon construction to assist our district with project costs as they are in the field as a construction firm and complete heavy renovations across the state and have much experience with this type of work. 

It was determined from their feedback that this is a large scope project that needed to be defined with long term expectations and visionary leadership involving instruction practices and grade level configurations. Mr. Breese, Superintendent,  Administrative teams and the Board of Education members interviewed and selected an educational architectural team of experts to assist in the development of an adapted plan from an educational perspective. HTK architects was selected as the architectural firm to help guide our teams of educators, patrons, parents and students in framing the solutions to our drastic needs of the Concordia High School Facility.  HTK Architects, McCownGordon Construction, District Leadership Teams, the Community Visionary Teams, PIE, Booster Club, and Concordia Middle School Home and School organizations met monthly to collaboratively work with our community to identify the most significant facility deficiencies and the proper solution to these challenges. 

A steering committee made up of community members, teachers and district administrators (community planning team) researched several possibilities over several years. Convrsations were interupted by the Covid Pandemic but the committee pressed on with a few less individuals. The proposed project scope was narrowed over countless hours and multiple meetings. The community planning team eventually determined that the best option for USD 333 Concordia Public Schools (District) is to renovate the existing 1929 building extensively to reset the clock on its building life. The project proposes to construct new spaces to eliminate American Disabilities Act (ADA) access issues, provide additional educational space and a gym to replace the 1929 gym that is being remodeled into two-story educational space.

According to building estimates, based on square footage, a cap of $48.5 million was established to allow the design team the ability to build a school that meets students’ needs and will position the District for continued success educationally and fiscally.

The $48.5 million represents the total expense for building construction (materials and labor), site-development, furniture, design fees, bonding expenses, etc. 

This $48.5 million proposal was defeated in a Bond Election in November 2021.

Dialogue has continued and additional ThoughtExchange Data has been gathered and shared in the links above.