By Lucky Kidd
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson USD 308 Board of Education Monday accepted a Facility Steering Committee Recommendation to submit to voters next April 1st a $109.5 million bond issue for a number of projects, chief of which would be construction of a new 6-8th grade middle school on the site of the current soccer fields on East 23rd. This would combine the existing 7th and 8th grade centers at one site and move 6th graders out of the elementary schools.
The current Hutchinson Middle School-8 would be repurposed to house pre-K programs on the first floor and Educational Support Center and Transitional Learning Center to the second and third floor. The fourth floor of the existing HMS-8 could potentially be used for administrative offices, now housed at 1520 North Plum, though that is not part of the recommendation approved.
The existing soccer field on the site would be relocated to Don Michael Field with other fields at what is now the Salthawk Sports Complex to Rice Park. The existing turf field at Don Michael is already marked for both football and soccer.
The committee is suggesting the current Hutchinson Middle School-7 be sold along with the Midtown Center with the alternative school now there moved to the Avenue A facility, with Boys and Girls Club programming moved to the former Lincoln School. The former Grandview School property on East 4th would also be sold, and if the Administration Center were to move the current site could also be sold.
Board member Tad Dower noted there would be considerable difficulty in doing any expansion at the existing HMS-7, in that it would require acquisition for real estate and also getting the city of Hutchinson to agree to certain waivers.
Committee members are of the opinion that those two sites have considerable development potential given their close proximity to downtown Hutchinson, and Superintendent Dawn Johnson said there have been a few contacts with people who would be interested in purchasing HMS-7 and the Grandview site.
To dispose of buildings, the district by law would have to offer them to the state of Kansas first before they can be sold, a process that could take between 18 and 24 months.
The board looked at 20- and 25-year bond periods and opted to go with the 25-year option, which would require a nine-mill property tax levy increase, although there is a potential it may be less than that.
