GEARY — Salvaging the gymnasium attached to the current Geary High School would cost an additional $1.6 million above projected bond costs, Superintendent Sean Buchanan said last week, increasing the price tag for a new school project that already comes in over $30 million.
Buchanan and architects from Kerr 3 discussed the finding during a special school board meeting last Tuesday, May 17, after which Buchanan sought feedback from the community about what to do. The district held a community forum about the gym on Monday night, May 23
Ṁany Geary residents had expressed that they wanted the gymnasium saved, if possible, but Buchanan said the hefty cost prompted additional discussion. The district is taking steps to run a bond election later this year or early next, seeking about $33 million -- without the gym -- to build a new, all-in-one K-12 facility.
"We've got lots of code issues in the gym," Buchanan said Monday, explaining why the renovation would be so costly. "We have stairs leading to classrooms that are not handicap-accessible, obviously. Once we start the renovation process on any of our school facilities, we have to bring everything up to code."
The gym would also require asbestos remediation, he said.
Buchanan said the district might be able to incorporate some of the old gym's "look and feel" into a new facility if the gym itself is not salvaged. The old gym is currently used as a practice facility and sometimes for assemblies and classes at Geary High, but the district's major events -- like its famous wrestling tournament -- have long since transitioned to the Stegall Long Fieldhouse in the heart of town.
The district ran an online survey last week to gauge public opinion about saving the gym at additional cost. The results were "pretty onesided," Buchanan said Monday, with two-thirds of the 54 respondents saying they'd rather not renovate the gym for the price.
Buchanan invited community members to continue to reach out with feedback. But the decision will likely be made soon, as the school board will meet again on June 6.