Financial, community and legal-process objections can be made -- and demand to be reviewed -- with regard to Duluth's proposed western middle school.
The National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, or NCEF, tracks educational construction in the U.S. According to its 2009 report, the average size of a new middle school is 103,000 square feet. Duluth's proposed western middle school is to be 199,000 square feet -- or 93 percent larger than the national average. The average cost of a middle school is $16.4 million. The projected construction cost of Duluth's western middle school is $42 million -- or 156 percent higher. And the average cost per-square-foot is $160, far less than the $210 per square foot expected to be spent in Duluth.
No matter how it's measured, the cost of Duluth's proposed western middle school is way out of line. Duluth should be learning from states reeling from out-of-control school-construction costs and mandating that school buildings be reasonably priced and sized.
Worse, the proposed western middle school will mean the destruction of two existing western neighborhood schools: Morgan Park, a middle school, and Lincoln Park, a K-8 school. Nothing is significantly wrong with these two schools. The best K-12 architectural and engineering firm in Minnesota, ATS&R, estimated the total cost to completely modernize the Morgan Park and Lincoln Park schools at only $7.5 million. That's about six times less than the cost of the new western middle school. Moving forward with the new western middle school is completely irresponsible.
The Morgan Park and Lincoln Park schools have been the center of their communities for 100 years. Closing them would add stress to already struggling communities.
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Proponents of the proposed western middle school claim it will be in the center of the community it'll serve. Not so. It is in the middle of nowhere and will never be a community school since there is no community there. Only 13 percent of its projected students would be within walking distance.
What percentage of Duluthians supports this new school? No formal polls have been taken, which shouldn't come as any surprise; the district subjugated the rights of the people by denying a vote on the $300 million Red Plan. The only legitimate poll taken was by a citizens group called Red Plan Plus. It found 77 percent opposition to the Red Plan. Another indicator of what the people wanted came when I, a new resident, easily defeated a long-term board member in the last election. The people in my 4th District do not want to lose community schools.
Not only is the district ignoring the people, it is rushing ahead to award construction contracts while ignoring government requirements. A legal appeal of an environmental assessment is in district court. But the School Board has been given no information on the ramifications of this lawsuit; the board has not even approved hiring an attorney, nor has it approved any legal direction. A legal notice published in the News Tribune indicated a new review-and-comment period on the Red Plan would have to be approved by the School Board. But the board never even received a copy of the review-and-comment document. And the school administration has so far refused to have a discussion on a new review-and-comment with the board. The administration has said it will implement without board approval and, of course, without a voter referendum. Further, no building permits have been issued by the city for the project but are required.
The property necessary for the proposed school has not all been purchased, and it is likely unpopular eminent domain will be invoked.
The Duluth school district is an errant entity no longer accountable to the citizens. It must become mindful and start practicing principles of American democracy.
Art Johnston represents western Duluth's 4th District on the Duluth School Board.
