Arlee school district signs with architect firm

Arlee Public Schools are looking to the future, as the school signed a contract with an architect firm in early January to construct a new elementary school building.

The firm, A and E designs based out of Missoula, has done a number of projects in the area, Superintendent Mike Perry said. He added that this was the same company that helped the school with their pre-bond work.

In the fall of 2022 voters approved two bonds that would help the school fund the new building for a total of $9 million out of a $14.5 million project.

The goal is to create a new wing for grades 3-6 that connects to the current K-2 classrooms creating one cohesive elementary building, Perry said.

“We’ll start the planning phase now, but we won’t break ground until next spring,” he said.

Funding for $14.5 million project

Between grants and bonds the school has budgeted $14.5 million for the project.

While the prices to build new square footage have gone up, Perry is hoping that some of the current economic pressures come down by the time the school starts building. Potential savings could allow the district to use some of the extra money to fix up the old 3-6 building.

Last year Arlee received a $4 million Impact Aid construction grant to help fund the project.

“They obviously saw the need we have for our students,” he said.

Currently he is applying to the Department of Energy for a grant for $1.5 million which could be used for the project and combined with other financial aid if the school secured it. One of the benefits of this grant would be the ability to build advanced heating and ventilation systems, Perry said.

According to the school’s website funding also comes in the form of two bonds that were approved by voters last fall, the Impact Aid grant and $1.5 million in ESSER funds, which were allocated by the federal government to ease impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Planning for the project

A committee, which already did some pre-bond planning, will continue working on the new build, Perry said.

The school will hold open houses for the public so people can come in and see the plans, and express what they would like to see in the new building.

“I know the public can come in and give us some good ideas,” Perry said. “Another part of this is that, with the school being on the reservation, we can incorporate native culture into the building.

Perry is also trying to look to the future. He explains that there may be a need for charging stations if buses become electric.

“How many staff members will have electric vehicles?” he asks. “We can’t think of our needs two years from now, we need to think 20 years from now.”

He also was interested in purposeful open spaces between classrooms for a better layout which could allow different classes to work together.

Arlee has a steady student population, but at the moment there are increasing job opportunities nearby and there are talks of housing developments, Perry said.

“As we build onto this school that will bring new students here,” he predicted.

Perry also noted that the school owns 40 acres of land, and he would like to see if an agricultural program or similar project would be possible in the future.

A new life for the old 3-6 building

While the original idea was to tear the old 3-6 building down, the district is now considering tearing down part of the building and repurposing the space, Perry said. The building was constructed in 1936, and has numerous issues.

“The building is just not what we need it to be to educate our students,” Perry added.

On the school's website he outlined some of the issues, which include outdated wiring, water and plumbing systems and heating problems. Furthermore, the commute to the building's location causes students to walk across campus, sometimes in freezing conditions.

Still, many of those issues are specific to certain parts of the building.

Putting some work into the structure would allow the school to recreate the shop space and re-open the music room, which has been closed for two years due to mold, Perry said. Plus, he would love to see something automotive that students could work on in the shop.

“We’re just excited,” Perry said. “We’re excited that a couple years from now we’ll have a nice space for kids to come to.”