Update: A Year Before Public Votes on Referendum for Cedar Falls High School Project?

Update:

It could be almost a year before the public votes on whether to fund the renovation or rebuilding of Cedar Falls High School.

The Cedar Falls School Board looked at a tentative timeline for the project during a work session Monday night. Under the possible timeline, the board would need to make a final decision on the project by January or February, then take that decision to the public for a referendum vote in early April 2014.

Renovating Cedar Falls High School would cost around $52 million, while completely rebuilding it would be around $73 million.

Representatives of the Iowa Construction Advocate Team (ICAT), a partnership between Estes Construction and the Iowa Association of School Boards, spoke with board members at Monday's meeting.

According to a timeline laid out by ICAT, the board can follow several broad steps over the coming months:

1. Engage professionals
2. Start to engage key constituencies
3. Engage larger groups
4. Take the referendum to the wider public

The first step, engaging professionals, could include reaching out to local architectural firms. It could also mean consulting a "master planner" - an outside expert who would work with local architects and the school board to help make decisions on such things as potential new school locations and boundary lines.

Board members emphasized all of this should not just be about the high school question, but about the district's ten year plan. That plan would take into account issues of overcrowding due to enrollment projections at all levels of the district and may also include building an additional elementary school.

Beyond consulting with a master planner and architects, board members also mentioned the need to keep the facilities committee part involved in the discussion.

Original story:

The Cedar Falls School Board will hold a work session tonight to discuss the high school project.

Board members are in the process of deciding whether to pursue renovating Cedar Falls High School, at a cost of around $52 million, or completely rebuilding it, for $73 million.

The meeting is at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the James L. Robinson Administrative Center, 1002 W. First St.

The board will meet with the Iowa Construction Advocate Team (ICAT), a partnership between Estes Construction and the Iowa Association of School Boards.

ICAT is working with the board to develop a timeline and reach consensus on the project.

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