Committee focuses in on school expansion plans
A committee provides input to architects and engineers on renovation and expansion plans for Flathead High School on May 16. Left to right: Flathead Activities Director and Assistant Principal Bryce Wilson, Flathead Assistant Principal Mike Lincoln, L’Heureux Page Werner Principal Architect Steve L’Heureux and Flathead Principal Peter Fusaro. (Hilary Matheson/Daily Inter Lake)
Plans are coming along for the design development phase of the renovation and expansion of Flathead High School.
A committee made up of district administrators, high school staff, school board trustees, architects and engineers has been meeting to refine proposed layouts for the $18.2 million project. An additional $1.1 million is set aside for a parking expansion.
Roughly 20,000 square feet will be demolished and replaced with approximately 54,000 square feet of new construction. Demolition includes the small gym and half floors that are made up of nine classrooms and a lecture room.
Some topics of recent discussion during meetings on May 1 and May 9 have been building flow, natural lighting and storage, in addition to getting input from different departments to help decide placement and configuration of classrooms that may require additional wiring or plumbing.
“We have to think [out] 20 years,” said architect Steve L’Heureux of L’Heureux Page Werner.
Flathead Principal Peter Fusaro has echoed a similar sentiment.
“I really worry about that — getting it right the first time,” Fusaro said.
With a general layout worked out, the focus can be directed to details such as room assignments.
“Now we want to get more technical with it,” L’Heureux said.
Some of the rooms may not have specific class assignments and serve as flexible, multipurpose rooms. Some committee members expressed hesitation that these spaces would eventually turn into storage or go unused.
“Rooms for breakout purposes are up for debate in how they get used. When we were touring [the building] we saw a lot of kids in the hallways, whether it was testing or project work or homework,” L’Heureux said, noting that the rooms could have a variety of uses from small groups, testing, project-based learning.
The design development process is anticipated to wrap up at the end of June.
Complete construction documents are expected in January 2018.
The Flathead project comes out of a $28.8 million high school district bond that impacts the H.E. Robinson Vocational Agriculture Center, Linderman Education Center, Legends Stadium and Glacier High School.
Construction on Flathead is estimated to be completed by July 2019.
The school district is also building a new south elementary school and remodeling its five elementary buildings as part of a $25.3 million elementary district bond issue.
Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.