Reuse and Renovation of Facilities (DMPS SB 10/16/07)

At the October 16, 2007, meeting of the Des Moines Public Schools School Board, the superintendent and the district’s chief operations officer presented an update on and review of school facilities and renovations. The presentation included a look at four school buildings that are available for new uses and a discussion of budgetary options for planned renovations based on a newly-projected shortfall of revenue. The history of current renovations and school reuses, known as Schools First, starts in 2000 with a one-cent sales tax approved by voters. The sales tax sunsets after ten years so there was a ten-year plan for renovations and new construction. In 2005, due to shortfalls of expected tax revenues and to overruns of renovation costs, the plan was revisited. The latest shortfall arises from an appraisal received on the Central Campus building.

The present budget was prepared based on an expectation of $10 million being received from the sale of the Central Campus building near the western edge of downtown. The figure of $10 million was estimated based on the expectations of developers and other people with real estate interests that the nearly century-old former factory could be converted into office space and/or condominiums. While those are still the most likely non-school uses for the building, the downturn in the housing market and the high vacancy rate of downtown office space resulted in a formal appraisal this month of just under $3 million. Thus, there is a $7 million shortfall in a $66 million budget that represents uncompleted work on four projects. The vast majority of public and board discussion was on Central Campus and the Pappajohn Center but Roosevelt High School and Jackson Elementary School are also part of the equation. None of these projects have had any construction work started but all have had at least some preliminary planning or design work.

Dr. Nancy Sebring, superintendent of schools, and Bill Good, the district’s COO, presented four options as examples of the many different choices available to the board as it considers how to proceed with renovations and/or new construction under a revised budget. While the shortfall averages out to an 11% reduction across the board, it is impractical if not impossible to make uniform cuts. As Sebring noted, renovations to older buildings, such as Roosevelt, are interconnected. With the cost for an addition to Pappajohn and for renovations at Jackson budgeted at nearly $7 million and $6 million, respectively, postponing either of those projects would be a direct way of adjusting the budget priorities.

Central Campus has many different program tracks at its site. There are schools for pregnant students, vocational studies, and advanced-level work, among others. Whether those programs should stay together, the need to upgrade for technological education, and recurring costs (e.g., student busing and heating/cooling) were all part of the discussion. In addition, public comments were made as to who liked which buildings better, students or teachers, and how much a building mattered to an education.

Alan Young, president of the Des Moines Education Association union, wants teachers to have more say in classroom construction than architects. He noted that the original ten-year plan was driven by No Child Left Behind standards but he anticipates that federal program will not be renewed. Thus, teachers need classrooms that reflect real class sizes and that allow for creative teaching that might demand flexible use of classroom spaces

Board member and Vice President Ginny Strong has some unanswered questions, such as appraisals on vacant buildings. Nevertheless, she believes there has been ample time to discuss options over the past several months. Strong said, “It is time to move forward on these projects.” Other board members, including board President Dick Murphy, were more hesitant to move very quickly given lingering public distrust with the board. Patty Link offered comments that supported Strong’s desire to move ahead while acknowledging some people feel a decision “will be rammed down their throat again.”

Board member Teree Caldwell-Johnson noted that “significant business interests” want the school board to stick with the Pappajohn Center because there is nobody left to sustain the building that is within the downtown area. Buying the center does not mean automatic support for building an addition to it, however.

The four schools identified as available for reuse (e.g., for school programs, for community non-profit use, or for sale) are Adams, Casady, Douglas, and Wallace. Casady is being used for pre-school classes funded by a four-year grant. With the vacant buildings, the district carries maintenance costs and has to deal with vandals breaking windows. Mary Ann Spicer offered public testimony about the need to keep Casady (1801 16 Street) or some school in that neighborhood. The other three school sites are on the east side of the city.

M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa and covers school board meetings for AroundDesMoines.com.