Whitefish High School: Latest design unveiled for new school

The latest design for a proposed new Whitefish High School would involve a $19 million, 120,000-square-foot facility.

The design is a combination of previous plans with changes made based on public comments, according to Steeplechase Development Advisors.

Steeplechase is the school district’s consultant hired to help with the planning process.

The proposal would renovate 40 percent of the existing school and replace the rest with a new structure.

New features in the two-story building include a mix of classroom sizes and large learning spaces, a large assembly hall, modern library and a dining area.

The Whitefish High School futures committee and a team of architects and consultants last fall produced three different design options for the high school. Estimated costs ranged from $16.9 million to $19.5 million and the design options ranged from partial renovation to demolishing everything but the gym.

Through interviews with teachers, students and community members and an online survey, Steeplechase collected feedback on the original designs.

“The vast majority of people believe the high school needs to be upgraded, but the last designs were too expensive and not the right fit for Whitefish,” Chris Kelsey with Steeplechase said.

Now the group has unveiled a new design.

Design

Steeplechase combined the most favorable pieces of the three original designs into one.

The firm included a new dining area and an assembly hall similar to a lecture hall. Past designs combined the two areas. With seats for 200, the assembly hall could handle large groups of students for testing or music rehearsals.

“What we heard was that educators wanted a dedicated space for each rather than a cafeteria that was used for both,” Kelsey said.

The assembly hall added $700,000 to the cost of the project.

The dining and kitchen facilities would make it possible to serve the entire student population. Currently, only a quarter of students dine in the school’s hallway.

The two-story design has benefits, according to Steeplechase, including a more intimate and safe environment. It also allows for more views of the mountains and open space around the school.

Classrooms are designed to be flexible in size to take into account modern teaching styles.

Kelsey pointed out that the high school is outdated based on today’s teaching. When the school was constructed, students moved from classroom to classroom in an assembly-line style. Today teachers move beyond lectures with group activities and technology.

“We spent a lot of time wanting to understand how teaching is different today than when the building was built,” Kelsey said.

Classrooms of varying sizes are organized in clusters around common spaces that can be used for group work. Flexible furniture allows for teaching spaces to be reconfigured. Classrooms also are wired for computers allowing for immediate access.

The library is expected to serve as the school’s technology hub and resource center. Located near the front door, it is a prominent feature and allows for access from a separate entry to make it available for other community uses.

Renovation of the gym and locker room areas include a fitness room and locker rooms to accommodate visiting teams.

Construction

A cost comparison determined which areas of the school would be replaced versus renovated.

Under the new design the A and C wings, which both house classrooms, would be replaced. The gym and music/shop/art areas of the building would be renovated. 

The building would include 38 teaching spaces. Enrollment estimates are projected to be between 500 and 600 students through 2021 and the new school is designed with that in mind.

The new school would be located south of the current school, allowing for minimal disruption to classes during construction. 

The new front entry of the school to the north includes student parking with access off of East Fourth Street. The faculty and staff parking area would be located south of the building with access off Pine Street.

The exterior architecture is based on historic buildings in the area, including the train depot in downtown Whitefish and the Glacier National Park lodges.

“We didn’t want it to feel too modern,” Bayard Dominick with Steeplechase said. “We wanted it to have views of Big Mountain and have the aesthetics of a building that’s appropriate for Whitefish.”

Funding

Roughly $1 million is already committed to the project. A target of $4.5 million in alternative funding has been established with a goal to bring a public bond request down to $15 million.

“We want the community to know that we’ve turned over every rock and tried to find money everywhere,” Kelsey said.

Voters twice have rejected bond requests for the high school project. The last was a $21.5 million request in 2008.

Compared to the previous request, the property-tax impact to voters if the bond is approved would be less than half. The owner of a home with a market value of $250,000 would see a $50 annual increase in his or her tax bill for a $15 million bond.

Timeline

This fall and winter 2012 are designated for fundraising with a potential bond election proposed in spring 2012.

Architectural design and engineering could begin in spring and summer 2012 with new construction breaking ground that fall.

Renovation of the B wing would begin in summer 2013 followed by the completion of new construction in fall 2013.

Steeplechase predicts that students could move into the new building in January 2014. At that time the A wing would be torn down.

In spring 2014 the complete renovation of the B-wing and removal of C-wing would take place. Final landscaping would take place in summer 2014.

Plans may be viewed online at www.whitefishhighschoolfuture.com.