Madison School Board says yes to renovations

Posted on Monday, October 11, 2010

By: CHUCK CLEMENT, Staff Reporter

The Madison School Board moved ahead with plans on Monday night to renovate the Madison High School building after about 18 months of research and study and discussing the project at board meetings since July.

The school district's architects, Baldridge and Nelson of Sioux Falls, had presented plans earlier this year for renovating the 45-year-old building and adding new space that totaled $16 million in construction costs.

Board member Tom Farrell made the motion to move forward with the renovation project. Farrell said that the planning for the project "... included involvement from Madison high school staff, community and board members as well as having had discussed the renovation project during numerous board meetings including a complete tour of the Madison high school facilities ..."

Farrell indicated that a lot of work still needed completion before any construction work could start, including a public vote on a bond issue that would fund the renovations. He said the school board should "move this forward and get it to the voters" and let the public make a decision at the ballot box.

As part of his motion, Farrell proposed that the school district hire Meierhenry Sargent as bond counsel and Dougherty and Co. as bond underwriter.

The board members approved Farrell's motion and also approved paying Baldridge and Nelson up to $91,000 to create a complete schematic design for the project.

Jeff Nelson, Baldridge and Nelson president, told the board members that his firm could start working on a "full-blown package." He said that the package would include a complete floor plan and an energy study that would consider utility cost savings and possible renewable energy use, such as solar and wind generation.

©Madison Daily Leader 2010