Update to the BCLUW Community on Facilities Planning

Sept. 30, 2024

To the Parents & Guardians, Staff, Students, and Community Members of BCLUW;

Following the most recent facilities update and discussions between the BCLUW Board of Education and architects from Emergent Architecture at the board’s September meeting, we want to provide an update on facilities progress to the community.  BCLUW has engaged with Emergent on planning and design work, including several sessions with BCLUW staff members for input and refinement of designs.  While a voted bond issue did not pass in the fall of 2023 and the district cannot do all the facilities construction and renovations from that plan, the board is planning to continue a smaller-scale facilities project to better prepare our district for a transition to a 2-building campus by the fall of 2026.  The cost of this project would be paid for by a combination of current reserves in specific funds designed for buildings & grounds projects and equipment (PPEL and SAVE – sales tax), along with borrowing against a portion of future sales tax revenues that may also only be used for things like buildings & ground projects and equipment (there is no property tax increase for this anticipated facilities project).  Funding the construction project through these means, rather than a voted bond issue, does mean that it has to be “smaller scale” than what had been previously proposed.  It is also important that we do not borrow beyond our means for this project, and thereby risk being unable to continue to maintain and equip current school facilities.

As detailed in last year’s facilities project and bond issue communications, a primary reason for the planned transition of BCLUW from a district with three attendance centers to a district with two attendance centers is in large part due to ongoing enrollment decline in the district. Since most revenue streams for Iowa schools are tied to enrollment, our board and superintendent believe this step will be needed in order to maintain the long-term financial health of BCLUW, and to continue as a viable and strong rural school district well into the future.  It is anticipated that by the start of the 2026-27 school year, BCLUW will operate as a PK – 6th grade elementary school and a 7th-12th Jr./Sr. high school, and that the district will cease using the current middle school as an attendance center.

While architects are still in the final stages of the design phase, we wanted to update the BCLUW community on the current plans.  At this point, it is expected that design plans and blueprints will be finalized in October, and able to go out to bid by November.  Once those bids are received (and as long as they do not exceed the architectural design team’s estimates and district resources allocated for the project), the board hopes to move forward with approving a contractor, and be able to break ground next spring, with construction and renovation work expected to take place in 2025 and 2026.  The primary construction/renovation being planned for includes;

Elementary 

• New office space with secure building entrance
• New cafeteria/commons with serving area, (which will also separate that use from the current elementary gym).  This area is also going to be a “hardened space”, able to be used as a storm shelter.
• The current office space is expected to be partly repurposed into smaller classrooms.
• Modernize the front entrance with new signage and lighting.

High School

• New Career and Technical Education (CTE) classroom space, including an Agricultural Sciences classroom and Flex Classroom that may be used for a variety of other classes.
• Security enhancements at the entrance, including the office and front entryway, as well as for student transition between the main building and the CTE classrooms.
• Other improvements to the area between the primary building and CTE area, including redoing and bringing the ADA ramp up to current code, creating a small outdoor patio area accessible from the Family & Consumer Sciences classroom, which may also be used for school/community functions and outdoor classroom space.
• An additional competition gym to the west side of the building, along with a concessions room and changing rooms.
• Modernize the front entrance with new signage and lighting

While we want to again emphasize that we are in the late design phase (so cannot yet know exactly how bids will come in and the district will proceed) we wanted to keep our community updated on current facility and district planning. Some of the diagrams below are the latest architect’s renditions (but should not be considered as final plans/design at this point). 

We expect to update this page later this winter, and then also periodically going forward with the project. Feel free to reach out to Superintendent Ben Petty in the BCLUW District Office at 641-366-2819 if you have additional questions about the project.

Thank you for your time and support of BCLUW!

The BCLUW Board of Education and Administration

Below are some images from the architect’s software program (these visuals should be considered representative at this time, and are not final design).  The first six images represent design work at the proposed Jr/Sr High School, and the final four images at the Elementary.