(MITCHELL) – As required by Indiana State law, the Mitchell Community School board conducted a preliminary public hearing Monday night on a proposed $17 million capital improvement project.
The Mitchell Community School Board voted 5-0 to move forward with the proposed project that included three resolutions.
The three resolutions include a project resolution, preliminary determination resolution, and reimbursement resolution.
List of proposed projects:
High and Middle School
- Auxiallary Gym/ Concessions – $5,000,000
- Contingency – $250,000
- A/E Fees – $320,000
Elementary School
- Traffic Improvements – $1,100,000
- Roofing – $1,022,000
- Contingency – $200,000
- A/E Fees – $145,000
Athletics
- Practice Facility – $1,100,000
- Turf Football Field – $850,000
- Infield Turf Baseball/Softball (include drainage and irriagation) – $1,500,000
Adminstration
- Maintenance building – $ 1,000,000
- Demolition – $95,000
- A/E Fees – $69,000
Junior/Senior High Roofing
- Roofing – $765,000
- Contingency – $70,000
- A/E Fees – $52,000
HVAC/Chiller Replacement/Energy Upgrades
- HVAC/ Chiller Replacement/ Energy Upgrades – $100,000
- Contingency – $ 100,000
- A/E Fees – $68,000
STEAM/Lab Renovations
- STEAM/Lab Renovations – $584,500
- Contingency – $50,000
- A/E Fees – $47,000
Dr. Brent Comer went through an overview of what the project encompasses which includes both needs and wants of the corporation. This includes drop off/pick-up around Hatfield and Burris Elementary and an Auxiliary gym for Mitchell Junior High School student’s physical education classes.
The project also includes roofs for all the schools and HVAC replacements.
The project did include wanted items for the corporation which included synthetic turf for the baseball, softball, and football fields.
Total amount of the project is estimated at $17,035,000.
- Total amount of bonds – $17,035,000
- Construction hard cost of project – $15,036,500
- Soft costs of the project- $936,000
- Interest on the project starts January of next year – $717,916,67
- Cost of issuance of bonds – $317,583,34
The bonds will cover up to a ten year period of time and a maximum of 22 years should the school corporation want to add additional project(s) as the debt falls off during the payoff of the bonds.
Only one person spoke against the project during the public comment period.
Kevin Hawkins of Mitchell, who is a local business owner questioned some of the items included in the project.
His biggest question was the need for synthetic turf. Hawkins cited information from the University of Louisville study in 2017-2018 stating that athletes who use synthetic turf are 58 percent more likely to suffer an injury.
Hawkins questioned the need to replace the roofs at all the schools.
“Is this a quality issue that needs to be looked at?” Hawkins asked. “Are these contractors not performing the installation properly or is it a quality of product issue that the corporation needs to look at better roof products?”
He asked Mitchell Community School board members “to live within their means” in his closing remarks.
Mitchell Community School Superintendent Brent Comer, along with the Mitchell School Board members want to clearly emphasize that there will be no tax increases to local taxpayers by executing these projects.
Board President Chris Shaw and Superintendent Comer want the public to be informed and transparent as they proceed with the projects.
