New elementary school would follow set pattern

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake School District patrons will decide the fate of a $135.3 million construction bond in a special election Feb. 14. If approved the money would be used to build a new, second high school, upgrade Moses Lake High School and build a new elementary school, the 11th in the district.

The cost for a new elementary school is estimated at $13,427,093, which includes $4,968,024 in “soft costs,” things like furniture and technology. The estimate also includes $2 million for elementary school site development.

The district is eligible for about $876,000 in school construction money from the state for the elementary school portion of the project, so local taxpayers will pay $19,518,412.

District residents rejected bond proposals for a new high school in 2012 and 2015. A bond proposal that included Park Orchard and Sage Point elementary schools was approved in 2007.

The Sage Point-Park Orchard design would be the basic blueprint for the new school, if the bond is approved. But the location is still to be determined. “We’re definitely focused on the southeast side of town,” district superintendent Michelle Price said.

A grade school requires about 10 to 11 acres, Price said, a lot less property than a high school. The district already does own some property, 10 acres in Cascade Valley and two separate parcels along Yonezawa Boulevard.

The land in Cascade Valley is outside the area of primary growth, Price said. One of the two Yonezawa properties is adjacent to the existing transportation center and Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center, the second across the street, between Yonezawa Boulevard and I-90. The piece between CB Tech and an adjoining housing development is 11 acres, the other is 20 acres.

Price said the Moses Lake School Board and district officials are still trying to determine if either one is suitable for a grade school.

Park Orchard and Sage Point are built around a central courtyard, with classrooms opening into an interior hallway. That’s in contrast to the other eight grade schools, where most classrooms open directly outside.

“We will tweak that (the design) to fit the property,” Price said. Because there’s already a basic design, the goal would be to open the new grade school as soon as possible, Price said. Elementary school construction is projected to take about three years.

Price said staffing is one of the questions that has come up during discussions of the bond proposal, how teachers and aides are paid and how staffing levels are determined. The process is driven by the number of students, and paid for through basic school support funding from the state.

If the bond is approved, district officials would be looking for people to serve on a community design committee. A lot of people in Moses Lake have design and construction expertise, Price said, and one of the committee’s goals would be to make sure the design and construction are efficient and cost-effective. Applications for the committee are available on the district’s website.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.