Washington School District weighs options for administration building
Board delays vote on awarding contracts for work
The Washington School District Board of Education tabled motions to award more than $550,000 in total maintenance contracts across two district buildings during a Monday meeting, citing a need to explore additional options.
According to the meeting agenda, four bid awards totaling $348,000 of extensive repair and renovation projects on the three-story district administration office had been scheduled for a vote.
The work included a full roof replacement; improved site drainage and related construction; masonry restoration construction; and masonry restoration and painting.
The second slate of scheduled votes concerned the two-story Carriage House – located at the rear of the 311 Allison Ave. property that houses the district administration office adjacent to Washington High School – which is currently used for storage.
These three projects included the replacement of the Carriage House roof; masonry restoration; and window and door replacement for a total of $229,800.
Superintendent Alisa King said the board opted to table the bid award votes to explore other options regarding the two properties, including a professional appraisal of the administration building.
The building that now houses the district office was constructed in 1880, with the current slate roof believed to be original to the building.
King said the board wanted to have enough information available before deciding whether repairing the building was a worthwhile investment compared to relocating the office to another district building, or constructing a new office entirely.
“We want to be fiscally responsible to the district’s taxpayers,” she said.
One option under consideration is building a new district office as part of the ongoing field house and track replacement project.
That project, which was approved in June, will construct a new, one-story field house building southwest of the current football field over the next two years, add at least 60 new parking spaces and replace the track and field with modern, competition-ready surfaces for just under $10 million.
Project architects HHSDR Architects Engineers told the board in May that they could include the construction of a new district office at the stadium on Tyler Avenue.
King said the office appraisal should be complete by August or September at the latest, and that the board would have more information on which to base their decision.