Lake Park, IA (KICD) — The Harris Lake Park school board Monday heard it’s third option before deciding on a potential fall bond issue.

As we previously reported, FEH Design estimates a new elementary school adjacent to the high school would run 18 and a half million dollars, and a full-renovation of the current elementary school could cost about 17 million. Superintendent Les Douma ordered a third study on applying only the most necessary band-aids to the 1976 building, and architect Matt Basye told the board that would run about 11 million dollars.

Basye tells KICD News this option would not address all of the code deficiencies, nor the lack of insulation in the walls.
The scaled-back plan could be financed with a 2 dollar 70 cent bond issue. School board members seem hesitant to stick money into a building nearly fifty years old, but Superintendent Les Douma says that even if voters approve the maximum 4 dollar 5 cent levy, it wouldn’t be enough to pay for the new construction plan as proposed.

A decision is possible at the next regular HLP board meeting on April 17th.