Elementary, middle schools face buildup

Terry Webster

Thursday, Dec. 14, 2000 | 11:25 a.m.

New elementary and middle schools may be higher and smaller in the Clark County School District.

In view of the city's rapid growth and high demand for land, school officials want to build two-story elementary and middle schools on smaller lots. That will likely result in smaller student capacity levels, school officials said.

"Generally, where land is inexpensive and available, it's less expensive to build out instead of up," facilities division assistant superintendent Patrick Herron said. "When we get into situations where land is very expensive, the cost of building up then becomes cheaper than buying more acreage. Or, land is just not available at any price."

Some of the extra costs associated with two-story schools are those for elevators and additional square footage for stairs.

Also, fire codes require that services used by all students -- including cafeterias and libraries -- must be on the ground floor.

Herron explained why the two-story design is close to becoming a reality.

"The reason we didn't go to two stories before is that it was cheaper in earlier circumstances to build out," he said. "Now, circumstances are different because of land cost and availability."

Two-story elementary and middle schools will allow the district to cut the needed acreage to about one-half of the current requirements. One-story elementary schools require around 12 acres while middle schools require about 20 acres.

"It's at the point where it's cheaper to build up," Herron said.

The district wants to build the first two-story elementary school at Fremont and Bruce streets on a five-acre site. The school, originally slated to open in 2004, is now expected to open in 2003.

But the first two-story school could appear in the school district as early as 2002, when the reconstruction of Madison Elementary School is expected to be completed. The new school will feature a two-story design, but it will be specific to the site Madison is located on, Herron said.

The School Board tonight will vote on a recommendation from the district's facilities division, which would allow Welles-Pugsley Architects to design a two-story prototype for middle schools. The facilities division is recommending that the Friedmutter Group and JMA Architecture Studios design elementary school prototypes.

Prototypes allow for a basic design that can be altered slightly, depending on the site.

A six-member screening panel rated the 21 responses the district received in response to its request for prototype proposals. The committee also interviewed and selected the firms who are being recommended to the School Board.

Herron said state law provides that the cost to design the prototypes will be negotiated after the firms are approved by the School Board.

"Two-story schools will be new here, but they certainly are common in other states," Herron said.

The district, the nation's sixth largest and fastest growing, is opening an average of 12 new schools a year.