Next week I'm voting yes on amendments 1 and 2, here's why:

Amendments 1 and 2 require a simple voter majority before the School District can relocate a school or sell land. Voting yes will not prevent the School District from building a new school, but it will certainly save time and taxpayer dollars.

The Department of Education has a 2024 manual on their website for planning and construction of school buildings. The school construction timeline is projected to last seven years. This is the recommended process all other municipalities follow:

Year 1 - Assessment, Budget, and identify Stakeholders

Year 2 - Specifics: educational needs, build new or renovate, local process requirements

Year 3 - Site Selection, Planning and Design, Budgeting, Funding and Approval, Drawings for Construction Bids

Year 4 - Select a Construction Team, Permits

Year 5 & 6 - Groundbreaking and Construction, Preparing to move

Year 7 - Open New School

Case Study for Allenstown New School (2017: start - June 2024: completed)

Concord enjoys full autonomy so the process must be better. Let's see:

Year 1 - 2015 Rundlett Facility Assessment Presentation creates a plan with seven steps and a timeline for completion between 5 years 3 months - 7 years

Year 2 - 2016 RFP for Educational Programming and Architectural Feasibility Services, but lists the site as 11.15 acres not actual 19.85. Selects HMFH

Year 3 - 2017

• RFS Engineering completes Structural Assessment report for HMFH: floor and roof in satisfactory condition, exterior veneer was cracked, but not structural. Majority of HVAC was upgraded in 2010. Electrical panels very old and in poor condition, lighting and fire alarm control panel should be updated.

• Visioning Sessions with HMFH and New Vista

• Partnership Exploration (YMCA, HMFH & SAU8 fly to Nebraska)

• Feasibility Study - 5 options with and without YMCA, 5-8th grade and 6-8th

• Funding discussions

Year 4 - 2018 RFP for Demographic Report

Year 5 - 2019

• School Board Votes to Rebuild

• Demographic Report by Davis predicts declining enrollments

• Grade configuration report

Year 6 - 2020 No action

Year 7 - 2021 extends HMFH contract to prepare letter of intent for School Building Aid

• Visioning, Grade Configurations, and Feasibility Study (again)

• Broken Ground (BG) and Rundlett sites compared: BG disadvantages are greater and include infrastructure needs, access to property, water pressure, congestion in neighborhood

• School Building Aid Condition Evaluation Form completed: states HVAC is outdated, fire alarm system noncompliant, roof is failing and trash barrels catch rainwater, asbestos throughout

• School Building Aid Letter of Intent submitted citing inadequate educational programming needs; failing infrastructure: HVAC, roof, windows, doors; classrooms <900 sq ft; intruder concern; insufficient electrical.

  • Anticipated: Cost - $85 Million; Start date- 9/2023; End date- 9/2025

Year 8 - 2022

• Jan - Configuration determined to stay 6-8th grade, NESDEC Enrollment Projection Report shows declining enrollments

• Feb - Letter Intent to Purchase Clinton Street site from CenterPoint Church

• Spring - Community meetings considering six sites: top two identified as Clinton Street and Rundlett (still described as being on 10-11 acres including three acres of wetlands, actual size is 19.85 with 1.2 acres wetland)

• June - Building Aid application submitted listing Clinton Street and Rundlett, Total cost: $176,243,428, estimated Building Aid: $70, 497,371 (exactly 40% of total project), Total proposed area: 214,105 gsf

• Aug - HMFH completed preliminary design study submitted in three volumes more than 400 pages, including Clinton Street environmental site assessment, building design options with and without the YMCA on Clinton Street & Rundlett, civil engineering plans for Clinton Street, site development with detailed drawings of floors and rooms at Clinton St, preliminary design study of YMCA Collaboration, PM&C Schematic Design Cost Estimate:

  • New Middle School on New Site: $138,443,428, size: 214,105 gsf

  • New YMCA $35,023,835, size: 63,130 gsf

  • New Middle School at Rundlett: $136,417,044, size: 214,105 gsf

    • Costs not eligible for Building Aid on new site: $28,911,727

    • Total HVAC: $17,931,295 (strangely, the School Board just approved a $20+ Million bond last month including HVAC at the high school also for $17+ Million, no paperwork available)

• Sep - Timeline: fall/winter - determine location, RFQ for Architect, Construction: Aug 2024-Aug 2026

• Oct - CenterPoint Church votes down sale (two years later they transfer 7 acres to Concord Christian School)

• Nov - Concord is ranked 4th out of 17 projects to receive Building Aid

• Dec - RFP for Architect lists the expected location as 144 South St.

Year 9 - 2023

• Apr - HMFH hired as the designer for the new middle school

• May - YMCA withdraws from Middle School Project

• Apr through Sept - solicited studies for Broken Ground: water, plant & habitat assessment, historical resources, wildlife, geotechnical

• Aug - HMFH shares new timeline

  • Site selection: Nov 2023, Construction: Dec 2025-May 2028

• Sep - Community meetings showing 3 layouts at Broken Ground and 2 at Rundlett. Renderings depict 8 acres of forest being impacted at Broken Ground

• Oct - Water & Sewer Assessments of Broken Ground, Number of students who can walk/bike to Broken Ground unknown. Jack Dunn adjusts budget by $250,ooo to cover the additional studies at Broken Ground.

• Nov - Traffic Observations of Rundlett and Broken Ground (not a traffic study)

• Nov 27 - cost comparison of two sites, coordination with City on infrastructure costs and athletic field availability not conducted.

• Dec 6 - Broken Ground selected

Year 10 - 2024

• Mar - HFMH signs contract for $10,383,257 (7.5% of the cost listed for Clinton St)

• Apr - soil testing complete at Broken Ground, Nobis prepares civil engineering maps with planned area of disturbance=29 acres

• May - Harvey Construction selected as Construction Manager (also did elementary schools)

• Jul - significant changes to School Building Aid rules: $50 Million total that pays debt service and remainder distributed to ranked projects annually; eligible square footage is capped (for Concord it's 141,300-150,000 sq ft); construction fees are capped, permits are no longer eligible. As number two on the list, only $19.1 Million will be available.

  • Budget cap set at $152 Million, including $8.5 Million for Contingency

  • Superintendent reiterated that major infrastructure costs have not been coordinated with the City

DOE Manual: For new construction, the recommended contingency budget is 5% of the estimated construction cost. Concord's is set at $8.5 Million = 5% of $170,000,000

• Sep -

  • Site walk, civil engineering maps created in April are distributed.

  • Amendments requiring a voter majority for school relocation and land sale will be on the Nov 2024 ballot.

  • Rundlett athletic field use released publicly

  • $20+ Million bond approved: $17+ Million for HVAC at CHS, $1.5 Million for 12 diesel buses, $1.5 Million for HVAC at BMS. No RFPs or competitive bids.

• Oct - Traffic Study released publicly for South Street and Broken Ground, 25 students live within the one-mile radius of Broken Ground site; 196 students live within the established Safe Routes to School 1.5-mile radius of Rundlett.

Make your Plan to Vote!