Renovations to the existing Park View Elementary School will likely cost between $6.8 and $8.5 million.
Energy Systems Group Account Executive Bobby Cox told the Putnam County School Board that number is subject to change depending on the final designs. The School Board is considering converting Park View as a Pre-K center for Cookeville once the new Park View facility opens this fall. Director of Schools Corby King said the proposed design would be a step in the right direction.
“What this would do in the immediacy, would free up a couple of classrooms in the elementary schools for growth purposes, but if universal comes along, all this does is put us in a place where we might survive that before we have to build a new school,” King said.
Universal Pre-K is gaining steam nationwide, giving any family that wants to the chance to enroll children in a pre-K program. Cox presented the board with a design concept that includes 29 classrooms and room for further expansion.
Cox, former Warren County Superintendent, said during his time working in education, he often saw kids come into school that were not ready. He said he hopes to create a facility that maximizes the spaces where students can get ready to begin their educational journey. King said the payment would have to come through a county bond issue.
“We want to make it a classroom where they can learn and play, but also have academic instruction as well,” Cox said.
King and his team initially estimated renovations would cost between $8 and $10 million. King said the goal is to have a facility ready in 2025.
“This has to be funded by the county commission, so I want to be clear with that,” King said. “I hope they will approve this. I hope they will move forward. I mean, we all see there’s a need here, but until they vote, and sometimes that’s August, I mean, so I know that can change this timeline.”
Cox said the renovated building would cost the county $126 per square foot. He said that includes some $1.5 million for the building envelope and interior finishes, $3 million for an HVAC system, and $1 million apiece for plumbing and restrooms.
City Attorney Dan Rader has been working with ESG on a potential contract, and the board will continue to discuss possibilities before potentially adding the contract to its March meeting agenda.
The School Board is in the midst of renovating the roof on the school.
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