Now Showing on CSi TV 10 – The Replay Channel :

Jamestown (CSi) At a Special Meeting, the Jamestown Public School Board Thursday evening reviewed concept-facility assessments for master planning of the city’s elementary schools.

The School Board will seek feedback from the education staff, parents and the community on a combination of ideas.

Recommendations for four concepts were developed by DLR Group, an architectural design firm based in Minneapolis.

The concepts were based on an enrollment study that projects a 7 percent increase in Jamestown’s K-12 school population to reach 2,380 pupils by 2020.

DLR Group Principal Christopher Gibbs presented the recommendations based on a school facilities assessment study. It produced a three-option plan based on an anticipated five-year, 1,200-student population growth with 10 sections in each grade level.

The concepts are alternatives to deferred maintenance options that run approximately $44.9 million for estimated structural improvements at all city schools.

Gussner Elementary School was by itself $5.4 million, followed by Lincoln Elementary at $5.1 million, Louis L’Amour Elementary at $2.2 million, Roosevelt Elementary at $5 million and Washington Elementary at $5.3 million. The middle school deferred maintenance is at $13.2 million or $19 million depending on certain work. The high school is at $2.9 million, the alternative high school at $1 million and the James Valley Career and Technology Center at $4.8 million.

The options/concepts

* Option 1 is the least expensive alternative with the least amount of change at $23.9 million. It adds a new two-section elementary school for 240 students and makes Louis L’Amour Elementary a two-section building. A one-section school would have one version of each grade. It would also update three elementary buildings and eliminate Washington as a K-5 facility.

* Option 2 was called the most efficient and expensive at $34.9 million, according to the DLR Group study recommendation. It eliminates Washington and Roosevelt elementary schools, adds one new four-section elementary school and converts Louis L’Amour to a two-section building.

* Option 3 costs $31.5 million or $33.5 million if a gymnasium is added to Roosevelt. It would eliminate Washington and update Louis L’Amour and Gussner schools to accommodate 360 students and renovate Roosevelt and Lincoln to handle 240 students.

A fourth option offers no alternatives but would essentially manage growth within the current structures. It is not a recommended option in the DLR Group study.

The meeting including comments from the school board members was recorded by CSi 10 THE REPLAY CHANNEL.