Deeper Look at the District Facility Assessment
May 4, 2022 at 8:32 p.m.
The Franklin County Community School Corporation’ “District Facility Assessment” by Lancer + Beebe, LLC. notably called for the ultimate closure of one or more elementary schools in the district.
The 139-page report mainly outlined the current physical condition of school buildings and facilities: FCHS, FCMS, Mt. Carmel School, Laurel Elementary, Brookville Elementary and the central administrative office. This was broken down into site characteristics, safety and security, the building envelope (structural barrier between interior and exterior), building organization/efficiency, program and curriculum, mechanical/plumbing systems, electrical systems and environment and teaching tools.
At the end were estimated cost summaries –low and high estimates –for the high and middle schools and central office, as well as summaries for each of the four options: Option 1- Closure of MCS with renovations to Laurel and Brookville; Option 2 –Closure of Laurel with renovations to MCS and Brookville; Option 3 –Closure of both MCS and Laurel with renovations/additions to Brookville; Option 4 –Closure of Brookville with renovations to Laurel and MCS.
Recommended timelines ranged from immediate to short-term to mid-term to no timeline. Annual operational savings were given for each of the four options and total cost savings extrapolated over 20 years.
Options 1,2 and 4 would save roughly $400,000-$800,000 in operational costs every year. Closing both schools (Option 3) would save roughly $800,000-$1.6 million each year going forward.
The largest difference came at the high-end estimate for Option 3. Savings annually amounted to $1.6 million or $32 million over 20 years. After calculating costs in safety, security and accessibility, building envelope, mechanical, electrical and plumbing, interior programs, interior environment, exterior site and new construction of $17,333,300, the savings were subtracted to arrive at $14,666,700 in the black.
Next was the low-end estimate of Option 3. Annual savings came out to $760,000 or $15.2 million across two decades. Costs were totaled at $11,956,200, putting the end figure at $3,243,800 on the positive side.
One other option produced a positive outcome –the high-end estimate of Option 2 or closing Laurel Elementary. Annual savings ($800,000) were identical to options 1 and 4. However, costs were projected to be lower for this option –both on the low and high ends. These ranged from $10,908,400 to $15,702,600. The resulting total, after accounting for $16 million in savings, stood at $297,400 in the black.
By order from least to most costly after those options: high end of Option 4 (cost after 20 years = $211,600), high end of Option 1 ($1,075,600), low end of Option 2 ($3,308,400), low end of Option 4 ($3,667,400). The smallest margin, or most costly of the scenarios, was the low end of Option 1 at $4,271,400.
Other figures pertained to upgrades and renovations at the facilities unaffected by choice of option.
For FCHS, cost summaries ranged from $9,574,500 to $17,048,000 with the biggest piece being a $5-$10 million multi-court auxiliary gymnasium (or detached fieldhouse) to share with FCMS. Immediately needed was mechanical/electrical/plumbing work ($48,000 high-end).
At the middle school, the totals range was $3,657,000 to $5,073,000 with the largest outlay being the high estimate of mechanical/electrical/plumbing - $391,000 immediately recommended. The central office carried a summary of $1,839,500 (low) to $2,994,500 (high) with the steepest cost being the high estimate of interior organization, namely replacing the bleachers in the old Brookville Greyhounds’gymnasium, renovating or adapting the original locker rooms and window treatments in the gym.
The most pressing needs at BES (Options 1, 2) were mechanical, electrical and plumbing-related ($86,800 high-end). Immediate needs at Laurel (Options 1, 4) were also mechanical/electrical/plumbing ($300,800 high-end), as well as adding a vehicular gate for delivery drivers ($30,000 high-end) and investigating and remediating suspected fungicidal growth in rooms 124 and 203 from exterior wall leakage ($20,000 high-end). Similarly, most vital at MCS (Options 2, 4) included mechanical/electrical/plumbing ($300,800 high-end), as well as adding a vehicular gate for deliveries ($50,000 high-end) and investigating/remediating leakage above the Media Center and checking for fungicidal growth ($20,000 high-end).
In the “costs by phase”summary, the largest total was the high end of Option 3 (closure of both MCS and Laurel and Brookville renovations) when taking into account all recommended expenses across four timelines; that number was $50,182,100.
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The Franklin County Community School Corporation’ “District Facility Assessment” by Lancer + Beebe, LLC. notably called for the ultimate closure of one or more elementary schools in the district.
The 139-page report mainly outlined the current physical condition of school buildings and facilities: FCHS, FCMS, Mt. Carmel School, Laurel Elementary, Brookville Elementary and the central administrative office. This was broken down into site characteristics, safety and security, the building envelope (structural barrier between interior and exterior), building organization/efficiency, program and curriculum, mechanical/plumbing systems, electrical systems and environment and teaching tools.
At the end were estimated cost summaries –low and high estimates –for the high and middle schools and central office, as well as summaries for each of the four options: Option 1- Closure of MCS with renovations to Laurel and Brookville; Option 2 –Closure of Laurel with renovations to MCS and Brookville; Option 3 –Closure of both MCS and Laurel with renovations/additions to Brookville; Option 4 –Closure of Brookville with renovations to Laurel and MCS.
Recommended timelines ranged from immediate to short-term to mid-term to no timeline. Annual operational savings were given for each of the four options and total cost savings extrapolated over 20 years.
Options 1,2 and 4 would save roughly $400,000-$800,000 in operational costs every year. Closing both schools (Option 3) would save roughly $800,000-$1.6 million each year going forward.
The largest difference came at the high-end estimate for Option 3. Savings annually amounted to $1.6 million or $32 million over 20 years. After calculating costs in safety, security and accessibility, building envelope, mechanical, electrical and plumbing, interior programs, interior environment, exterior site and new construction of $17,333,300, the savings were subtracted to arrive at $14,666,700 in the black.
Next was the low-end estimate of Option 3. Annual savings came out to $760,000 or $15.2 million across two decades. Costs were totaled at $11,956,200, putting the end figure at $3,243,800 on the positive side.
One other option produced a positive outcome –the high-end estimate of Option 2 or closing Laurel Elementary. Annual savings ($800,000) were identical to options 1 and 4. However, costs were projected to be lower for this option –both on the low and high ends. These ranged from $10,908,400 to $15,702,600. The resulting total, after accounting for $16 million in savings, stood at $297,400 in the black.
By order from least to most costly after those options: high end of Option 4 (cost after 20 years = $211,600), high end of Option 1 ($1,075,600), low end of Option 2 ($3,308,400), low end of Option 4 ($3,667,400). The smallest margin, or most costly of the scenarios, was the low end of Option 1 at $4,271,400.
Other figures pertained to upgrades and renovations at the facilities unaffected by choice of option.
For FCHS, cost summaries ranged from $9,574,500 to $17,048,000 with the biggest piece being a $5-$10 million multi-court auxiliary gymnasium (or detached fieldhouse) to share with FCMS. Immediately needed was mechanical/electrical/plumbing work ($48,000 high-end).
At the middle school, the totals range was $3,657,000 to $5,073,000 with the largest outlay being the high estimate of mechanical/electrical/plumbing - $391,000 immediately recommended. The central office carried a summary of $1,839,500 (low) to $2,994,500 (high) with the steepest cost being the high estimate of interior organization, namely replacing the bleachers in the old Brookville Greyhounds’gymnasium, renovating or adapting the original locker rooms and window treatments in the gym.
The most pressing needs at BES (Options 1, 2) were mechanical, electrical and plumbing-related ($86,800 high-end). Immediate needs at Laurel (Options 1, 4) were also mechanical/electrical/plumbing ($300,800 high-end), as well as adding a vehicular gate for delivery drivers ($30,000 high-end) and investigating and remediating suspected fungicidal growth in rooms 124 and 203 from exterior wall leakage ($20,000 high-end). Similarly, most vital at MCS (Options 2, 4) included mechanical/electrical/plumbing ($300,800 high-end), as well as adding a vehicular gate for deliveries ($50,000 high-end) and investigating/remediating leakage above the Media Center and checking for fungicidal growth ($20,000 high-end).
In the “costs by phase”summary, the largest total was the high end of Option 3 (closure of both MCS and Laurel and Brookville renovations) when taking into account all recommended expenses across four timelines; that number was $50,182,100.