Othello schools start facility planning process

OTHELLO — Facility needs in the Othello School District – what needs to be built, if anything, and when – is the subject of a new plan under discussion by district officials. Recommendations from the plan will be presented to the Othello School Board in late November or early December.

District operations consultant Gina Bullis said Thursday that the plan and the recommendations are still a work in progress.

“We’re not really sure what we’re going to be doing,” Bullis said.

The final decision of whether to run a construction bond, and when, if the answer is yes, will be up to the school board.

Gregg Fultz, OSD director of projects and risk management, said district officials have been researching and working on a facilities plan since 2018. Voters rejected a construction bond in February 2018, and a revised plan was still under review when the COVID-19 pandemic stopped all work on it.

Currently, Othello has four elementary schools, McFarland Middle School, Othello High School and Desert Oasis High School.

District director of communications Ed Petersen said the plan is not only looking at the district’s current needs, but at future needs, as well.

District officials worked with a consultant to identify some of the needs and come up with recommendations to meet them. The report will be given to a committee for review, and the committee members will make recommendations to the school board.

“Stay tuned. Things are happening,” Bullis said.

The needs and options presented by Teater-Crocker Inc., the consultant, include expansion of existing sites, possibly a fifth elementary school, and upgrades for support services.

The options included expansion of MMS, with the goal of adding enough room to accommodate sixth-grade students. One of the options for OHS would be demolishing the 600 wing and building 18 general classrooms and three science classrooms to replace it.

Constructing a fifth elementary school was among the options. Gyms at the three elementary schools that don’t have them was one of the identified needs. A separate building for all pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students also is one of the options.

Expanding the kitchens, freezers and food storage space at all schools was identified as a need, along with moving the district’s central food storage warehouse.

Bullis said it’s inherent in the facilities planning that a construction bond will be put before voters sooner or later. What will be in it and when it might go to the voters will be up to the school board.