PORT ANGELES — The estimated cost of a new Port Angeles High School has grown to between $100 million and $120 million.
That’s the amount now estimated by the Long-Range Facilities Task Force, which is working on a proposed bond measure for the February special election ballot, said Kelly Pearson, district director of finance and operations, after a Port Angeles School Board meeting Wednesday.
The earlier estimate was between $80 million and $100 million.
District officials plan to asks voters to approve a bond measure for construction of a new high school on the 39.7-acre sloped campus at 304 E. Park Ave.
The School Board did not discuss the proposal Wednesday.
It will be presented with the task force’s recommendation Oct. 23, when the board meets at 7 p.m. at Jefferson Elementary School, 218 E. 12th St.
The board is expected to vote on the final amount of the proposed bond Nov. 13.
The $80 million to $100 million ballpark figure the district estimated when the process began was a guess, and as the district began to discover the actual costs, the number rose, Pearson said.
The construction cost of the school buildings is still within the original estimate, but all of the equipment that would be needed for the new school increases the amount, she said.
Existing equipment, such as the new security camera system, would be moved to the new school, but worn, broken or obsolete items would be replaced, she said.
Much of the final cost would depend on whether the board keeps the existing gymnasiums, Pearson said.
Updating or replacing the gymnasium at the same square footage is estimated to cost between $15 million and $18 million, she said.
Because of the age and poor condition of the buildings and the high percentage of low-income students in the district, the state’s School Construction Assistance Program would be expected to reimburse a large portion of the construction cost once building was complete.
According to the state Office of the Superintendant of Public Instruction website, in 2014, the district was eligible for state funding for up to 53.83 percent of approved construction costs.
The percentage of funding available to each district is reassessed each year, and the final distribution depends on how many schools apply for funding, Pearson said.
State funds can be used to pay off bond debt or fund the construction of another school.
Six of the 10 buildings on the campus were built in 1953, two in 1958 and two in 1978.
During a 2007 inspection of the buildings, the structures received scores as low as 25.5 out of a possible 100 score, with the newest structure receiving a 56.4 rating.
Building deficiencies included inadequate fire detection and protection; a lack of access for those with disabilities; plumbing, heating and ventilation, and electrical systems; roofing; window and door thermal performance; flooring; exterior walls; and seismic and structural condition.
Engineers’ reviews of the structures’ needs have indicated that remodeling the existing buildings would cost at least 85 cents for every dollar spent to build a new school, according to district estimates.
The proposed replacement would increase the total square footage from 222,000 to 237,000.
The majority of the new buildings would be constructed east of the existing auditorium, known as the Port Angeles Performing Arts Center, to avoid displacing students during the construction period.
Currently, the area includes a teacher parking area, tennis courts and a district-owned house.
If voters approve the bond measure, the new school likely would open in fall 2018.
It has been determined that the 1,122-seat auditorium is too large to be replaced at a reasonable cost and would be renovated and incorporated into the new building design.
The auditorium is used by community groups for concerts and performances after school and during summers.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
