Clark Elementary school, built in the early 1900s and the oldest of the Clark-Pleasant school buildings, is in need of millions of dollars in repairs to permanently stop leaks that are affecting the walls, ceiling and basement of the building, business director Jay Staley said.
Now the district is learning the estimated cost of the repairs and deciding how to proceed.
School officials expected to spend about $1.9 million on the repairs to replace four skylights in the cafeteria, metal siding around the top of the building, exterior walls in multiple areas, the drain work around the perimeter of the building and some windows and do some brickwork. But the bids are coming in much higher. For example, Gibraltar Construction has offered to do the work for about $4.3 million, Staley said. The school is on County Road 700 North in rural eastern Johnson County.
The district has 60 days to either accept or deny the bids, which were submitted on Feb. 12.
While the leaks are not constant, they are an issue during windy, rainy days, Staley said.
The most recent renovations took place in 2015, when the district replaced the school’s roof. As part of the renovation, metal flashing was installed in place of a limestone cap to prevent water penetration. The metal flashing is not the same as the metal siding which is currently leaking, Staley said.
Along with the gap between what Clark-Pleasant expected to spend on the renovation and the bid amounts it received comes the issue of how the district would pay for the work, he said.
“This is a major part of the issue,” Staley said in an email. “We currently do not have the funds allocated to pay for those repairs.”
The money may have to come from general obligation bonds issued in 2018.
Currently the district is using sealant materials to temporarily mend leaky areas, but the district will need to consider if those temporary fixes are worth it in the long run or if it needs to invest in a more permanent solution, he said.
