ILWACO – The Ocean Beach School District Board of Directors has its work cut out for them.

As the pre-bond planning process has gone on, early estimated figures were in the realm of $20 million to remodel and modernize the four district schools. But board members were a little surprised to see an estimated figure of $37,567,353 Wednesday night from architects BJSS Duarte Bryant. It is now the job of the board to pare down the different aspects of the project before pitching a final number to district voters in April, prior to the bond election on May 20.

Representatives of BJSSDB, Trent Hart and Frank Smith, estimated the project – which would also reconfigure the grade structure at the schools to create two kindergarten through fifth-grade elementary schools, a sixth through eighth-grade middle school and nine through 12th grade high school – would take six years to complete.

Before giving the estimated cost of the project as it stands now, Smith was asked if these are the figures that will be voted on.

“That’s not something that I would go to the bank with,” said Smith. “Before you get to the bond issue we can give you a better cost estimate. If you do anything to modify these drawings, when we get all that done, then we can give you a better cost estimate. This is more a targeting or budgeting kind of figure.”

The plans themselves, referred to by Hart as “footprint” plans are created from “wish lists” made up by the staff at the different schools – what they would like if they could have everything.

“The plans that you see here are derived by the direction we were given from staff, administration, as to what they need in their schools,” said Hart. “Maybe these programs are excessive. Maybe there’s more square footage in these spaces than we really need.”

As Hart passed out sheets of the project cost overview estimates, some nervous laughter was audible coming from school board members and superintendent Tom Lockyer. The laughter quickly subsided as the estimate, nearly $20 million dollars higher then early estimates, was outlined by Hart.

Another cause for discussion was when the estimated figures for state matching funds were passed out, showing an estimate of only $3.1 million toward the $38 million project estimate. Lockyer also pointed out whatever amount is finally settled on, the board and the district should add 10 percent for contingency costs that arise during projects of this magnitude.

The state matching funds are divided between K through eighth, and ninth through 12th grades. Because of the grade configuration, and the new construction, there will be fewer students housed in more square footage. This only allows for 50,000 square feet of area per group eligible for state aid.

The calculation used to determine the eligible area is called a cohort survival rate. It estimates the enrollment at grades K through six, seven through eight, and nine through 12 over the next five years. In 2007, K through six is projected as having 397 students enrolled, while the current enrollment is 534. This estimated enrollment is multiplied by 80 square foot per student. That number goes up to 110 square feet per student for seventh- and eighth grades, which will have an estimated 153 students in 2007, down from 198 this year.

By doing this calculation, the figure comes out at a combined total of 48,590, the number is then raised due to the number of disabled students in those grades, who get more square feet per student, raising the total to 50,000 square feet of eligible area.

Ilwaco High falls into the category of small high schools when calculating its eligible area. Its estimated enrollment in 2007 is 359. High schools with enrollment of 301 to 400 students are allowed 52,000 square feet.

“If you do not agree with the cohort survival rate, you can challenge,” Hart told the board. “There are demographic folks that can go through and do a little more thorough job as far as determining what your decrease in students will be over the next five years.”

The board has scheduled a work session on Tuesday to discuss the bond amount, with the hopes of coming to a final number to be announced at a special board meeting Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Ilwaco High School library.

“We need to get it done,” said board chairman Ed Guelfi.

The project, which hinges on a super majority 60 percent vote approval on May 20, would start at Ocean Park Elementary.

ILWACO HIGH SCHOOL

When rated by BJSSDB, Ilwaco High School fared best among the Peninsula schools. It’s the newest building in the district and has the fewest problems. But because of its size, over 90,000 square feet, and modernization costs at $100 per square foot, the high school is left with the biggest price tag, $13,640,368 – over a quarter of the estimated cost for the entire district.

“We felt we needed to include the high school people in that process. They have their wish list, too, and we have to remember that, that’s what this is,” said Lockyer.

The high school, in a sense, is gaining 9,000 square feet just from having the seventh- and eighth-grade students and classes leave for Hilltop in the grade reconfiguration process. Lockyer joked that, “If we can staff with enough teachers, they won’t have much more then 10 kids in a room.”

Some of the changes that would be made under this early plan would be to open some outside walls for more windows, and increasing the size of the commons area and the cafeteria. The only really noticeable new construction would be to cover the courtyard approach in the front of the building and move the front doors of the school to just above the stairs. This is done as an attempt to make the entryway to the school more grand, a trend seen in all the school plans presented on Wednesday.

“As an intention that needs to be noted. You look at the front doors of your flagship for education, it doesn’t say entry to me,” said Hart. “There might be an opportunity to enclose that space, and put some dollars in an entry. More welcoming. It’s pretty sterile right now as it is.”

Most of the building’s components would stay as they are now, with some reconfiguring of space and modernizing changes. The gymnasium would not be affected, though the girls locker room, located below the gym, would be enlarged to the same size as the boys’ counterpart.

“There are three things we need to do to the school in terms of site accessibility,” said Hart. The first being access to the shop area.

“Right now you have an auto shop that you can’t really bring a car into because there’s no access.”

He said that the best approach in terms of the plan is to create access in front of the school, though it wasn’t the best in terms of visual appeal to have old cars visible from the parking lot.

Another is the ramp used for disabled citizen access. The current ramp may or may not meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The third is also an ADA concern, an elevator to give access to the lower level of the building.

“I think when we were challenged with looking at the district as a whole, we included the high school because there’s a need with this building as well,” said Lockyer. “And as we look at our educational goals, we want this to be the flagship of the last four years of the kids’ education.

“The reality, I think, the board has to look very strongly at what does it think the community will support. And at the same time, if we don’t look at dealing with the district as a whole, which would include the high school, what do we lose 10 years from now when this becomes a bigger issue? This is the real difficult point in time.”

HILLTOP SCHOOL

What is commonly referred to as the worst building in the district, Hilltop School, would see a total revitalization.

The school, built in 1936, has in turns housed all elementary through high school grades. Under the new grade reconfiguration, it would move into a new phase of its history, as solely a middle school, home of grades six through eight.

The current library building, which is free-standing outside the school building, would be removed. This would give way for construction that would enclose the entire building, leaving only a small open area in the middle for an outdoor courtyard.

As its name suggests, the school is built on the slope of a hill, which makes the different aspects of the new design harder to define then the others. The footprint design given by BJSSDB shows Hilltop as having three layers, with new construction making up the third layer that would be constructed in what is now the back lot/playground.

On the ground floor, the original entryway, located on the Brumbach Street side, would once again be the building’s main entrance – the entrance on the Advent Street side is currently used as the main entry.

“In terms of history, that’s the main entry,” said Hart.

Upon entry, the administrative office would be to the left and the library would be to the right.

The lower level will house the special education classes, utilizing the Advent side entry for disabled accessibility. The bottom floor would also be the home for the one of the grades, most likely sixth.

“That would offer an opportunity to serve a total grade,” said Hart.

The courtyard in the center of the building will increase from its existing size, as a place for students to “hang out.” The playground, which is currently located at the top of the hill, will be removed to make room for the construction of the new gymnasium and music room. By opening up that area, it will allow for more daylight to reach classrooms on the inside portion of the building.

To get the entire second level of the school at the same floor level, Hart suggested removing the locker room portion of the current gymnasium and raising the floor six and half feet. This portion would no longer house the gym, but rather a shop class.

“That stills leaves you with some high ceilings,” said Hart. “You still end up with the volume that will easily accommodate a shop of the middle school level.”

The auditorium will remain in its current spot, but instead of having an outside wall to its north, there will be new construction that will enclose the third layer construction, bringing all the elements into one building. The auditorium will still have a slope to it, customary in theater seating, while the rest of that floor will be the same level.

The area where the library is currently housed will make room for the dining area and kitchen. The upper floor will also feature the seventh- and eighth-grade classrooms.

The area currently used as playground and parking will be where the new 500-seat gym, and a 2,700 square foot area to house different music instruction rooms will be built.

All in all, Hilltop would be adding a total of 8,798 square feet of new construction.

Parking remains somewhat of a challenge at the site. Despite having 40 spaces on the upper side of the school, there is still very limited parking on the street close to what would be the new main entry for the building.

“The other point that I’m hammered with is, how are you getting from your car to the main entry?” said Hart.

Guelfi suggested that there needed to be some kind of visitor parking down in that area.

Hart pointed out that the front lawn of the school, held up by a retaining wall, could possibly be graded to be used as a parking area, though he was not sure of the implications in terms of the community and historical value.

“You’d need a lot of ramp to make up for eight feet of difference,” said Hart.

The total estimated cost for Hilltop is $10,436,768.

OCEAN PARK ELEMENTARY

Ocean Park Elementary is the oldest school structure in the district, built in 1933. The planned improvements would include increasing the square footage of the class sizes up to around 900 square feet per room, building an upper level, more space added to north end of building that will include a new gymnasium and lunchroom, an outdoor covered play area adjacent to the existing playground and additional parking.

There will also be renovations, remodeling and modernization to the existing portions of the building that will remain. The school will still utilize the same entryway, but it will be reconfigured with a bigger administration office to the left and a new, bigger library to the right. The existing gym and kitchen portion would be demolished, this is where the upper level would be built, housing classrooms, stairway and an elevator.

The property behind the school that currently houses the preschool is where the new gym would be built, moving the preschool into the building.

One of the biggest improvements, and biggest costs, is installation of a fire protection sprinkler system to the building – it currently does not have one.

“We need a 70,000-gallon tank that’s got to be located on the property with accommodating pump and generator,” said Hart.

The site work to install the necessary aspects of the system will bring that cost to over $700,000, over $500,000 more than any of the other buildings’ site costs.

The other factor at the site is the septic draining field.

“At this point in time, with the resources available, we are not able to investigate what exactly the load is and what it can handle right now as far as the drainage goes for Ocean Park in its existing state,” said Hart.

He went on to say that there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with it now, but they’re not sure how it would handle the increase in square footage, by nearly half.

With the need for having an area that can be accessed at night for community use, the design plan designates the north end for that purpose, giving an access point to the gym, lunchroom, and restrooms.

Special education classes for the two elementary schools will be based at the Long Beach campus solely, though there would be some room, called “pullout” space, available at Ocean Park.

“I think part of the discussion at the elementary was to be able to maximize staff for the special education programs,” said Tom Lockyer.

Ocean Park Elementary will see a total of 22,895 new square feet, and a total estimated cost of $6,860,104.

LONG BEACH ELEMENTARY

Like Ocean Park, Long Beach Elementary would also see the addition of an upper level, added square footage and a revitalized entryway – a total of 20,299 new square feet, at a total estimated cost of $6,630,113.

“We’ve got a two-story classroom element that we’re adding onto the front of the building towards Washington [Street],” said Hart. “That will accommodate the grade reconfiguration very similar to Ocean Park in terms of kindergarten, first grade and second grade. Those three grades located on the ground floor.”

That portion will take up most of what is currently the front parking lot and site of two portable classrooms. The main reason to add an upper level of classrooms rather than using the space behind the existing building is due to soil and wetland issues.

The entryway to the school would be changed dramatically, coming out at an angle between Fifth and Washington streets. It would also have a canopy to cover the walkway into the building.

“I like the main entryway feel,” said Guelfi. “I mean right now when you pull up to Long Beach you have to walk around because they put that portable in the front.”

The Long Beach campus would carve out a thoroughfare on the Fifth Street side to accommodate drop off and pick up traffic. The Ocean Park Elementary has plans to do something similar on its site as well.

The administration portion will increase in size but remain in the same location. The Long Beach library would also increase in size. And like Ocean Park School, Long Beach will feature also feature a new music room with acoustically treated walls, both situated to have the least noise impact on other classes.

Any changes made to Long Beach Elementary would not have any impact on the Tlohon-nipts Alternative School building, located across Fifth Street from the elementary.

“Anything I felt like didn’t need to alter, I left alone,” said Hart.