Futures committee looks at high school

A new committee has begun work on gathering ideas for the future of Whitefish High School — which will likely lead to either a new high school building or a major renovation project.

Organized by locals Bayard Dominick and Chris Kelsey, of Steeplechase Development Advisers, the Whitefish High School Futures Committee has more than 30 members, including community members, teachers, school board trustees, students and high school principal Dave Carlson.

Plans call for holding four workshops on goal planning, program options, program resolution and concept design. The first workshop was held on May 19. Meetings will be held in the high school library from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on June 15 and 28 and July 12.

The meetings will be facilitated by DLR Group, of Seattle, and Jackola Engineering & Architecture, of Kalispell. The two consultants were selected through a competitive process and hired by the school district using a $14,000 Quality Schools Planning Grant from the state of Montana.

Steeplechase will be paid using the school district's share of the city's tax-increment financing (TIF) funding, school superintendent Jerry House said, which could go up to $310,000 depending on how long the process continues toward submitting a bond proposal to the voters. Steeplechase has also been provided a small conference room and access to computers for their work.

The school district receives a couple hundred thousand dollars a year in TIF funds, school clerk Danelle Reisch said. The money is not typically spent on large capital projects, such as the new middle school, but instead goes to fixing roofs or adding classrooms, she said.

The purpose of the meetings is to generate three alternative conceptual designs for the redevelopment of the high school campus based on the school district's long-term curriculum goals. Those goals could be completed by August, Kelsey said, at which point they will be presented to the community for additional review and input.

Kelsey and Dominick intend the process to be as open as possible. They plan to offer a special Web site, set up a booth at the Tuesday farmers markets at Depot Park, and make presentations to local civic groups.

While it's too early to know what will come out of this six-step public process, the goal is a high school with a floor plan that will last 50 years, Dominick said. Since it will be curriculum-driven, and curriculum needs could change in the next five years or so, the building could use partition walls with no interior wiring or plumbing that could be moved at a later date to provide flexibility in design.

Kelsey and Dominick note that in preliminary talks, it appears that students and teachers don't like all the features of the new Glacier High School in Kalispell. While the biomass heating system eventually became energy efficient, after initial bugs, the school's main lobby entrance is considered too large and impersonal.

The school district has also indicated its intent to eventually close the high school campus, they said. That means some type of food service will need to be offered, but whether it's a cafeteria, dining hall, kitchen, food court, grab-and-go lunches in coolers or outside vendors is unsure now.

Kelsey and Dominick said it doesn't make sense to tear down the gym, but it could use some remodeling and upgrading for noise, light and heat. There are also no plans for a large auditorium. Band and choir rooms will be provided, and perhaps a small "black box" theater similar to the one at Glacier High School could be considered.

With all the high-tech infrastructure that could be included in a new or upgraded facility, Kelsey and Dominick see partnerships evolving between the high school and other businesses and educational facilities in the valley, including North Valley Hospital, which doesn't have adequate space right now for its educational needs. In a sense, the high school could take on more of a community college-type role.

House said he'd like to see the high school used year-round instead of only nine months. The facility could be used for GED classes for adults needing a high school diploma, a community library or to provide computer access to the public.

"I'd like it to be a community high school," he said.

A $10.4 million high school bond proposal failed in 2003, leaving concerns about the high school still out there. Undeterred, administrators embarked on a five-year journey that culminated in March 2008 with a second bond election.

About a year after the lengthy Whitefish Middle School renovation finished, the school board approved a plan for 85,473 square feet of new construction at the high school, but voters turned down the $21.5 million high school bond by 2,551 to 1,796.

"We knew it would be a tough deal because of the economy," school superintendent Jerry House said at the time. "You turn on CNN, and it's doom and gloom."

Since then, the school district has continued to promote a major high school building project.