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Simmons Options Mulled

Posted on: Wednesday, 10 August 2005, 21:00 CDT

Aug. 10--For the second time this summer, the Aberdeen school board has given the go-ahead for administrators to explore options for Simmons Middle School, including closing it.

Scott Sikkink, the district's director of buildings and grounds, brought the issue back this week because the board's makeup has changed since it first gave its approval on June 27.

That's the day Dave Bunsness, a then-board member who is now on the city council, said the possibility of operating one middle school instead of two should be included in the investigation. Sikkink wanted to know Monday if the board still wished to include the one-school option.

The consensus was "yes."

The public has clearly stated it wants two middle schools, said board member Linda Burdette. "But it is our fiscal responsibility to look at all options," she said. "We need to know what the cost of one school would be, and the public has a right to know all that information."

Board member Bob Nikolas disagreed. "Money is not the point," he said. The point is, people do not want one middle school, he said.

In November 2001, the board voted to close Simmons, 1300 S. Second St., and to educate all middle-schoolers at Holgate Middle School. In a February 2002 referendum, voters overturned the board's decision, with 87 percent voters opposing closure.

This time around, exploration of the one-school option will not involve developing drawings. But it will update 2001 dollar figures on the cost of creating one middle school, which would likely mean adding on to Holgate or Simmons.

The 2001 figures showed considerable savings in operating costs if there were one middle school. That's mainly because fewer teachers, secretaries, custodians and other staff members would be needed, and because utility costs were projected to go down. The district has about 800 middle school students in grades 6-8.

Other options: Exploration of options that involve Simmons only will include cost estimates and schematic designs, which are basic drawings as opposed to detailed blueprints. These options are:

-- Convert the original 1929 portion of the school into a home for district administrative offices, currently housed in leased space called the District Service Center, 314 S. Main St. Build a classroom addition to replace the space lost to converting the 1929 building into offices.

-- Convert the 1959 portion of the school into a District Service Center. Demolish the 1929 portion. Build a classroom addition to replace space lost to demolition and conversion.

-- Continue to use the entire building as a middle school. Add air conditioning and upgrade heating and ventilation. Add restrooms.

This last option is what the board had previously approved for a cost of $2.5 million. Renovation was to have taken place this summer and next.

But after approval, engineers discovered mold and moisture problems in the basement of the 1929 portion, making them question whether that portion should continue to be used as a school.

At about the same time, Dacotah Bank told the district it had plans to eventually expand into the Main Street space it owns and leases to the district for offices. As a result, options surfaced for incorporating the District Service Center into the Simmons complex.

Parties involved in the study will be Sikkink; Tom Janish, the district's finance director; board members Duane Alm and Mike Miller; Superintendent Gary Harms; Simmons Principal Jerry Heupel; assistant middle school principal Luther Schumacher; representatives from Herges, Kirchgasler, Geisler & Associates, an Aberdeen architectural firm; and representatives from Mettler Sichmeller Engineering, Aberdeen.

Alm said Monday the issue needs to be pursued aggressively. A decision needs to be made by spring so that upgrades can start next summer while kids are not in school, he said.

The goal is to present the board with cost estimates in November.

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Source: American News (Aberdeen, S.D.)

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