EDMONTON — The Metcalfe County School Board voted ununanimously Monday night to hire an architect to design the school district’s new middle school.

The school board went with Gary Scott and Associates of Frankfort, which was one of five architectural firms to submit bids for the project and one of two that presented proposals to the school board. The other architectural firm that presented was Lucas/Schwering of Lexington.

Patricia Hurt, superintendent, recommended the board go with Gary Scott and Associates.

“We heard, I think, two very fine proposals. Two architects attended a special-called meeting last week and both, I think, presented a very good effort on their part to serve this board of education,” she said. “After hearing those presentations and knowing the needs of this board I think the best for us is Gary Scott and Associates and I would ask that we approve this recommendation.”

Board chairman Steve Thompson echoed Hurt’s comments.

“Two very good presentations by those firms, as I began to poll the board the next day, individually, I got the same answer from every board member to the letter,” he said. “I think everyone of us left there that night with a clear idea of our needs and our goals and which one was going to help us meet those.”

Following the school board’s action to award the contract to Gary Scott and Associates, Larry Williams, who retired from the Allen County School System, thanked the school board and Hurt for making him feel welcome.

“I hope I contributed to some part of it,” he said.

Williams was asked to give the school board advice on how to go about building a new school, since no one on the school board had prior experience in building schools. During his tenure with the Allen County School System, there were two additions to Allen County High School, a new middle school was built, and the school district in constructed a new primary center, a new intermediate center and a new central office, he said.

Thompson thanked Williams for his help.

“What you brought to us is something that none of us had. It has been a learning process for us. I appreciate what you’ve been able to help us through in this process,” he said.

Now that the school board has chosen an architect, the next step is for the Kentucky Department of Education to approve the hiring of Gary Scott and Associates for the project. Once that task is completed, the school board will begin meeting with the architectural firm and put together a few proposals.

“In the meetings we had with each architect it was discussed whether a stand-alone facility versus an attached facility (would be possible). We’re going to have to look at those issues on a cost factor,” said Thompson. “Our original intent on our facilities plan was to attach an addition, but it may be cost prohibitive once we get to that point.” 

Hurt pointed out that a middle school committee has made some recommendations to the school board and those recommendations will be shared with the architect later.

During their proposal to the school board, Gary Scott and Associates gave two estimates on projects costs. One at $190 per square foot for a 60,000 square foot space for a total of roughly $13.2 million. The other estimate was also for a 60,000 square foot space at a cost of $180 per square foot for a total of $12.4 million.

The cost of the project will depend on whether the school board wants to build a free-standing facility or attach one to the high school, Hurt said.

The school district has a bonding capacity of $11.3 million. In September the school board voted to take a 4 percent increase in tax revenue compared to 2008. The tax increase is expected to generate about $92,812 in additional revenue for the district, less $3,712.48 for the cost of collections for a total of $89,099.52. State law allows any school district to provide a special fund for the purchase of construction sites for new schools, physical education or athletic facilities. It also allows districts to create such a special fund for the major alteration, enlargement or the equipping of existing buildings and athletic facilities.

The school has set aside 5.7 cents per $100 assessed value form the tax rate to generate revenue to pay for the construction. The monies garnered from the tax revenue increase will be matched with about $90,000 from the school district’s General Fund to be the equivalent of a nickel, which the school board is hoping the state legislature will equalize the board’s contribution when it reconvenes in January.