Nearly million more to accommodate 500 students per school
By Gary Lloyd
TRUSSVILLE — The Trussville City Board of Education on Monday approved revised contracts with Michael Brady Inc., the architect designing two new community elementary schools.
Both schools — one in the Cahaba Project and one in the Magnolia Place area — will be constructed to accommodate 500 students. The schools were originally being planned to be built to accommodate 400 students.
According to the approved contracts, the construction and renovation of the New Deal-era school in the Cahaba Project was going to cost $6,592,500 for 400 students. For 500 students, that cost increases to $8,153,000. The additional square footage being added to the Cahaba school project is 3,800.
Michael Brady of Michael Brady Inc. talks to Trussville City Schools officials Monday night.
photo by Gary Lloyd
The construction of the new school in the Magnolia Place area school was going to cost $6,746,500 for 400 students. For 500 students, that cost increases to $8,347,250. The additional square footage being added to the Magnolia school project is 6,718.
For both schools to accommodate 400 students each, the total cost — including construction, renovation, site work, contingency and other costs — would have been $18,131,000. Accounting for the same costs, the two schools being built to accommodate 500 students each will be $23,045,815.
Trussville City Schools officials believe the seven-millage property tax increase that will fund the two new schools will cover the increase in the scope of the project. Seven additional mills in property taxes will cost Trussville residents $70 per year on homes appraised at $100,000, $140 per year on homes appraised at $200,000 and $210 per year on homes appraised at $300,000. Trussville residents on Feb. 25 voted to approve the seven-millage property tax increase. The final results of the vote were 2,813 people in favor of the increase, while 1,935 voted against it.
Michael Brady, the architect, said increasing each school by 100 students is a “huge variation” in the plan.
Based on this year’s enrollment, there would be 427 students attending the New Deal-era school building in the Cahaba Project, 374 at the school in the Magnolia Place area and 1,025 students at the Paine Elementary Campus. With enrollment likely to increase in Trussville, building the schools to accommodate 500 students each now is logical, according to school officials.
The plan is to open the schools for the 2016-2017 school year.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.
