By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
A Hays school board member raised questions about spending on the district's $143 million bond projects at Monday's meeting.
The bond was approved in May 2022, and construction is underway on a new Hays High School. The existing high school will be renovated into a middle school, and the middle school will be renovated into an elementary school.
The bond plans also include renovations at Roosevelt and O'Loughlin elementary schools. The district plans to close Wilson and Lincoln as elementary schools, sell the Rockwell and Lincoln buildings, the oldest buildings in the district, and move the administrative offices into the Wilson building.
Board member Derek Yarmer, who took a seat on the board in January, questioned the budget for the projects, saying he did not think the district would be able to deliver on its promises.
Superintendent Ron Wilson insisted the bond projects were on budget.
He said the design plans for O'Loughlin are completed and will be coming before the board soon for approval.
"What we wanted to make sure was that we were giving the space needed," Wilson said. "That was what the desire of passing the bond was. ... I think that is what we are going to be able to do and feel really good about doing that."
Yarmer said the original estimate for the new high school was $77 million.
"The numbers don't seem to jive. It looks like we're going to be behind," he said.
Wilson said the estimate for the high school was calculated in 2021 before record inflation.
Ken Brooks, board president, said, "I think the district has made cuts that were necessary but not dramatic and not taking away from any of the original purpose. What we are paying to build a building now is probably about 40 percent [more than] in 2021 or even 2022."
Yarmer said, "It doesn't change the fact that you run out of money. What do you do when you run out of money? I don't see how you finish the other schools to what we are supposed to have."
Wilson said, "I'm very proud of what we have been able to do, and I think we're going to be able to do what we need to do, providing the necessary space."
Yarmer said he thought the bond promised to finish, furnish and equip the schools with the $143 million.
"Now you need to follow through on it, and I don't think you're doing a very good job of it," Yarmer said.
Yarmer said items that should be taken care of through bond funds are now in the capital outlay budget.
Brooks said some of the items he mentioned, including HVAC projects, were in the capital outlay budget all along.
Board member Jayme Goetz said some inflation could be expected on any construction project, but the district could not account for the massive inflation it has encountered recently.
Board member Ruth Ruder said the district has been able to reap higher interest rates on the bond funds than it anticipated when the bond was passed.
Wilson said the district can't go over budget on the bond and is not legally allowed to borrow any more funds under it.
However, Yarmar asked what would be cut to offset the increase in costs at HHS and Roosevelt.
Construction update
Concrete continues to be poured at the new HHS site. In the coming week, further work will be done on footings and structural steel mobilization.
At Roosevelt, work is moving into the former office area. There has been work on the exterior framing and sheathing in the expansion, interior framing in the expansion, construction demo in phase 4 and addition of windows to the storm shelter.