Staff photo by Clay Schuldt The Middle School Gym in Fairfax was filled with district resident, Thursday. The crowd was anxious to hear the Facilities Task Force recommendation for the GFW school district.

FAIRFAX — The GFW School Board held a special meeting at the middle school in Fairfax, Thursday to present the public with information regarding the GFW Facilities Task Force’s recommendation.

This task force was formed in response to the failed bond referendum in November 2017. The failed referendum asked district residents to support renovating or upgrading each of the current buildings in the district.

The Task Force’s work was presented by Superintendent Lonnie Seifert. He said the task force’s recommendation to the GFW School Board is to consider taking a bond referendum to the voters of the district to build a new Pre-K through 12 school facility at a site to be determined by the school board.

The task force decided the new single school building option was the best for the district. The benefits include creating a unified district, cost efficiencies, less administration, lower transportation costs, efficiency with staff, better security, operational efficiencies of a new building and the possibilities to attract students back to the district.

The downside of the new school building is it was the highest cost option at over $50 million. By reducing it to a single building, not every town in the distric would have a school building. The existing buildings would need to be maintained or sold. In addition, the task force believed the referendum for a single new school building would fail like the previous referendum.

The task force did present a second option to the school board to remodel and reorganize the district to create a Pre-K through sixth-grade in Winthrop and seventh through twelth-grade in Fairfax. This options could include a remodel and additions.

The benefit of the two building option is the lower estimated cost — $28.9 million. No land purchase would be needed in Winthrop and there is land to expand on in Fairfax. The Fairfax building does have cheaper energy costs.

The downside is the two buildings would be 17 miles apart with no central location. The two building are still old and not as efficient. Two sites would need to be maintained. The remodel would need to occur during part of the school year.

Seifert said there was also the possoibility of surprises occurring during the remodel that make the project more expensive.

Seifert included in the presentation a rundown of the existing conditions for the GFW District. Certain parts of the three schools are newer, but 60 percent of the buildings’ square footage is more than 50 years old. The state average is 41 years.

The current district square footage is 294,250 square feet, or 411 square feet per student. The state recommends 227 sq. ft. per student, which is one of the reason the task force recommended reducing the number of buildings.

The excess space results in higher operating costs. The cost for electrical, heat, water and sewer in three buildings was $237,757 for fiscal year 2018.

Even if the district decides to do nothing, it will still cost between $16 and $17 million to cover all the deferred maintenance to the three buildings. The district has held off on some maintenance repairs until it could be determined what to do with the buildings. Seifert said it would be throwing money away to make repairs to a building only to move out a few years later.

Some maintenance currently needed for the building could be taken care of during a remodel if the board chooses this option.

Other issues to consider are the need to update programing to 21st Century Learning needs. In order to meet modern educational needs the district would likely need to remodel or add on to at least one building. In addition, the American Disabilities Act (ADA) requires the school make necessary improvements if a remodel occurs.

Seifert pointed to a Minnesota Department of Education recommendation that said if renovation needs approache 60 percent of replacement value, a district should replace the facility.

This meeting was the first of three informational meeting/listening sessions. A task force listening session is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., April 2 at GFW Elementary School and 6:30 p.m., April 4, at GFW High School.