Minutes 09-26-2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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far. He said even the newer schools are entering into the age where HVAC and roofing needs are common. Commissioner Dorosin mentioned the reference to Lincoln Center on page 36. He noted the mention of this being turned back into a school and asked for more information. Todd LoFrese said this is still a very preliminary discussion. He said one option is to just renovate this building and use it as a central office. He said the other option is to deconstruct it and build a new central office; and the third option is to return Lincoln Center to some type of community use and build a new central office at a different location. Commissioner Dorosin said he appreciates the potential for increased capacity with upgrades, and he wonders if this can be prioritized. He said the next school needed will be the middle school. He asked if there is a way to put more money into maximizing the increased capacity to push the need for the next middle school out even further. Commissioner Pelissier asked if OCS study will incorporate the issue of Pre-K classrooms. She wants to make sure that this is looked at. Todd Lofrese said two of the options have presented the idea of coming in line with the Orange County construction standards, to include a dedicated Pre-K site. Commissioner Price asked if staff anticipates that any of the schools would need to be deconstructed and re-built. Todd Lofrese said one portion of Chapel Hill High School may require this. He said other options at Estes Hills do remove some existing buildings and replace them with others. He said the approach would depend on the campus. Commissioner Price asked if there is any goal to get rid of trailers in both systems. Todd LoFrese said this is part of the recommendation. He said the HVAC and flooring in the mobile units already need to be replaced. Commissioner Gordon referred to the square footage information on pages 9 and 36 of the presentation. She noted the differences in the various schools in the number of square feet per student. She asked how the calculation is made to determine how many students get added to the capacity of the building when additional square footage is constructed. Todd LoFrese said each school is unique and has to be looked at individually. He said there were some things that were assumed to be fixed. He said realistically it does not make sense to tear a wing down if it is in good shape and is only 200 square feet under the standard. He said core capacities, such as cafeterias and gymnasiums, are a big consideration. These must be large enough to handle increased capacity. He said the impact of capacity on programming and teams within the schools also has to be considered. Commissioner Gordon said at some point the rooms are just too small to serve the needed purpose. She said she assumes this would be looked at in another level of analysis. OCS Interim Superintendent Burns referred to the timeline for the OCS approach, outlined on page 41. He said there have been three steps, which included: 1. Working with DPI on an assessment of older facilities; 2. Contracting with Safe Haven for a comprehensive review of buildings to look at facility safety needs and risk management practices; and 3. Approval of a complete facilities assessment. He said the timeline for this third step estimates the results will be back in January, 2014 for presentation to the Board of Education. Chair Brownstein said this has been a wonderful collaboration between the two school systems. Jamezetta Bedford said has been looking at the number. She wants the Board of County Commissioners to think about the fact that the CIP has been reduced, and the older schools have been deferred. She said the schools are facing what the County faced 10 or 15 years ago in terms of facility needs. ` She said there needs to be a conversation with the citizens about this. She said there needs to be discussion before moving forward with buildings, parks and other programs when