Second Phase of Irmo, Ducth Fork High Plans Approved

Updated, 5:23 p.m.

The conceptual designs for Phase 2 at Irmo and Dutch Fork high schools were approved at the board's regular meeting Monday night. 

The total cost for both projects is $37,519,238. 

View the designs in the attached .pdf file to the right. 

Before the board voted 6-1 to approve the designs, board member Kim Murphy made a motion to continue the discussion of the projects and defer the vote in order to allow Superintendent Dr. Stephen Hefner to submit the projects for review according to the board's policy on a capital improvements committee. 

Policy FB, which can be found in the .pdf file to the right on the article, states that "a capital improvements review committee will be established to recommend priorities for the funding."

Buddy Price, director of community services, said the policy, which was adopted in 1982, is a standing policy that gives guidelines as to how the district should develop a capital projects' budget, which is different from a bond referendum.

Price said the district has followed the process outlined in the policy and that there were committees used in all instances of the district's projects.

"It was not done in isolation," Price said. 

According to the policy, the committee consists of administrators appointed by the district superintendent to serve for a period of one fiscal year.

The committee is to review all pending capital improvement projects, establish priorities, and make recommendations to the board.

The board was presented with a proposed 2012-2013 capital budget at Monday's meeting, which includes ongoing maintenance such as computer replacements or kitchen upgrades at schools across the district; new initiatives such as purchases of netbooks and cameras; or equipment such as book shelves, chairs or a vacuum cleaner. 

Murphy's motion also included, which is stated in the policy, that the board be provided with the following:

• A complete description of the proposed projects
• A statement of justification for the projects
• The estimated total cost of the projects
• An estimate of any future annual operating costs associated with the project
• A proposed plan of financing the project

Murphy said since voters approved and “were sold on” specific projects on the bond referendum, some of which has changed since 2008, and that money has been reallocated to other projects not in the original plans, the district should present the proposed changes and allow for the public to provide input before moving forward. 

According to the project budgets for both schools, money has been reallocated from the proposed new middle school.

District officials say that's because of the funds loss during the lawsuit over Chapin High School. 

The district has reallocated $11.2 million from the new middle school to both Irmo and Dutch Fork high schools.  

Phase II at Irmo and Dutch Fork includes improvements to athletic facilities such as a new field house at Irmo; a new health science building at Dutch Fork; and a new performing arts center at Irmo.

Irmo's second phase cost is $26,225,495 and Dutch Fork's cost is $11,293,743. 

Murphy's motion also addressed space needs at Chapin Middle School and called for the committee to exam the construction of the auditorium that she said was part of the Chapin High School Master Plan presented in 2008 and isn't included in the latest plans. 

At least 10 citizens spoke out during public participation in support of the arts programs at Chapin and urged the board to add an auditorium to the current plans.

Price said a fine arts center at Chapin High was never included in the 2008 bond referendum or materials discussing the referendum.

"There's no dispute about what they said last night," Price said. "They absolutely do need one but to say that there was one in the referendum and taken out is absolutely incorrect."

"There's not enough money in the bond referendum to do the projects that are listed there. The superintendent has said that's certainly something needed at the school and he is going to make it a priority to find a way, hopefully in the foreseeable future to make it happen but there's not any funds in the referendum to do it."

Price said there are "tremendous needs at Dutch Fork and Irmo" that are being addressed with the renovations and that the projects are not just about sports facilities.

Murphy's motion failed and the board went on to approve the plans.

Murphy said she didn't opposed the projects at Irmo and Dutch Fork but wanted to see the status of existing contruction projects and the funding needed to complete them before committing to other projects. 

Editor's note: Story updated with comments from Buddy Price, director of community services, and information about board policy FB and capital improvements.