Options narrowed for aging Whitefish elementary school

With winter fast approaching, Whitefish School District Maintenance Director Chad Smith has his work set out for him to keep Muldown Elementary safely operating — starting with shoveling the roof to lessen heavy snow loads.

Smith estimated the costs to shovel each time last winter at around $3,000, and even 12-hour-days aren’t enough to quite cover the approximately 50,000-square-foot roof. He anticipates a crew of six people and a roofing contractor to be on hand for snow removal this winter, as the community is presented with options to either repair or demolish the aging building and start new, or a combination of repairing and building an addition.

Water leakage in the ceiling is Smith’s other concern. Water has leaked enough between seams of an aging rubber membrane on the roof that maintenance crews had to devise a makeshift system to collect and divert water as a stopgap.

Repairing the structural issues and deferred maintenance on the school alone — without enhancing education — planners and architects L’Heureux Page Werner estimated, would cost around $9.1 million.

The temporary water-collection system was visible in the lunch room during a public forum Thursday where planners presented three project options to address issues that a Muldown Project Task Force narrowed down from 11.

A hose, attached to a plastic tarp, dangled through a missing ceiling tile and dropped into a trash can. Smith later explained that water collected in the tarp empties through the hose into the can.

MULDOWN OPENED its doors the fall of 1967. Although an addition was completed in 1992, the building is showing its age.

Smith told forum attendees that the first hour of his day is spent ensuring the heating and ventilation system is working properly. If it isn’t — “Some parts have to be manufactured. Planning ahead is essential,” Smith said.

Besides the roof, Smith’s main concern this winter is a boiler original to the building.

“The old boiler from 1966, if it loses a gasket it’s done,” Smith said. “If we experience 20- or 30-below weather we’re going to be down to one boiler. It’s going to be really chilly.”

During a short video presentation, teachers remarked on extreme temperature fluctuations due to single-pane windows or lack of windows. Smith also noted the absence of insulation in the roof. He said the roof was built without insulation because, at the time, gas was cheap and the idea was that heat would melt snow or ice on the roof.

“Well, things change. Gas and utilities are more expensive, ” Smith said.

Crowding is also a concern from congestion in the parking lot, the lunch room and library that serves as the only access point for a computer lab. Enrollment stands at 663 students and is currently the largest kindergarten- through fourth-grade student population housed in one building in the state.

ONE PROPOSED option that has gained the most traction with the Muldown Project Task Force includes building a new, two-story kindergarten- through fourth-grade elementary school west of the existing building.

The new school would be around 84,000 square feet — similar to size of the existing building — and take approximately 30 months to complete. The estimated price tag would be $21.1 million, which includes costs to demolish the existing building.

In this scenario, students and staff could stay in the existing school and then move into the new building.

Planners also said an alternative would be to retain the building as a future preschool if publicly funded preschool becomes an option.

One woman in the audience questioned how one building of that size would be sufficient for such a large enrollment if it grows.

Steve L’Heureux of L’Heureux Page Werner said the building will accommodate up to 700 students.

“The task force talked about splitting buildings by grade levels,” L’Heureux said, noting that would mean double the operational costs.

“You guys have maximized your efficiency. You do a really good job at [handling] 670 kids. The task force felt strongly that even breaking into another grade level building was not optimal.”

Based on a demographic study, L’Heureux said growth may have moderate ups and downs, but not on the level of the neighboring school district in Kalispell, which has had between 1 to 2 percent annual enrollment growth.

He said a new building would better utilize space for 21st-century learning, which means less hallways and more multi-use, shared spaces.

The second, highest-ranked proposal was building an addition onto the existing school to include a new gym, multipurpose room and dining commons, library, kindergarten area and offices.

The addition would add 35,000 square feet. The existing building would be remodeled and parking lot expanded with drop off and pick up loops. Planners estimate this option would cost $16.5 million and take 45 months to complete.

The final option presented proposed gutting and remodeling the existing building only. This option was the least expensive at $15 million and would address physical issues of the building while creating an environment geared to 21st-century learning according to L’Heureux.

A drawback besides the constraints of the building’s physical footprint is students would have to move into modular classrooms during construction. These modulars could be leased for approximately $500,000.

ONE ATTENDEE questioned preserving the history of the Muldown building, the vision of Lloyd “Mully” Muldown who served as Whitefish superintendent from 1960-71.

L’Heureux said the community has to make that call, but explained that post-war construction in the 1950s and 1960s wasn’t built to last when compared to prior decades.

“Post-war construction was done as fast, as cheap and efficient as they could,” L’Heureux said later adding, “In your mind you have to do a cost-benefit analysis. Is it worth it?”

Mike Muldown, the son of Mully, was asked to give insight to his father’s legacy. Muldown said he wasn’t advocating for any one proposal and that he or his family wouldn’t give any push back.

“You have to go through the process you’re going through and at the end of the day you have to choose one of these processes or none,” Muldown said. “We all have sentimental attachment to this building of course because of who we are, but there’s not going to be any push back whatever way you go.”

The task force will meet again in February to narrow down to one proposal.

The district is planning to hold another public forum March 21 to look at a final recommendation before it goes before the school board in April or June.

A bond issue could go before taxpayers in October 2017 if the recommendation is approved by the board.

If a 20-year, $20 million bond issue is proposed, taxpayers of a home with a taxable value of $200,000 could cost $81.15 annually over the life of the bond.

If a $10 million bond issue goes before taxpayers instead, that cost would go down to $40.58 annually.

Hilary Matheson is a reporter for The Daily Inter Lake. She may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.