At the special meeting of the Alamogordo School Board on Feb 5, 2024, a status presentation was given by Ken Barnett, PE of APS and Andy Benson, who leads the architectural design team on this project.
The design is finished! The design was initiated in July 2021. The proposed start of construction is the Summer of 2024 after final approval by the Public School Facilities Authority (PSFA) and CID.
COST
As of January 2024, the cost estimate is $66.5M. The amount Alamogordo Public Schools is responsible for paying is $44.8M. This is based on a 60/40 split of cost. The previous estimate was $31M an increase of $13.8M. This breaks down to a range of $600 – $800 per square foot. When the plans are completed and sent out for bids, the price may rise more due to the inflation factor. The new Chaparral is built to house 600 students. At present, there are 550 students. With the existing land, there are a few options for small expansion. According to the PSFA, New Mexico is above the national average on the cost of public building construction. Anything classified above what is considered “adequacy” is the responsibility of APS to pay.
Regarding landscaping, anything more than typical seeding used by the highway department along highways is considered extra. This includes “advanced plants” and gravel mulch. Outdoor benches, bicycle racks, and furniture are also extra.
CONSTRUCTION PLANS
The new Chaparral would be built where the current sports field is located. The athletic field would be on the site of the current school building on College Avenue. The bus lane would be on the North side of the current sports field next to the church. The student pickup lane, and employee and visitor parking entrance would be off of Aspen Drive. The gym is planned close to the new sports field. There should be adequate parking spots for those attending sports events.
There are three separate buildings housing special interest classrooms such as culinary arts, science, special education, band, and choir. Also, multi-use rooms are available for educational purposes and can be configured according to the need. There are collaboration rooms with wifi for teachers and students.
Elevators are positioned next to the bathrooms in the buildings. Previously, individuals directed that unisex bathrooms be designed for each floor. Drawing modifications presented at the Feb 5 meeting showed the girls’ bathrooms on the first floor and the boys’ bathrooms on the second floor. Removal of the unisex configuration is admirable but are they ADA compliant? The boys’ and girls’ locker rooms in the gym are separated but have one entrance. The bathroom in the gym intended for students and public access is still unisex on the drawings. Of concern is the fact these water closet stalls are presented as private cubicles which will be impossible to monitor. The request for bathroom configurations was without parental or community input on this design as well as the overall design of the school campus. The redesign of these facilities is being examined and proposed changes and costs will be presented to the School Board at a later date.
FINANCING
The APS School Board and the financial department are looking at all avenues for funding availability to cover the APS cost of the construction. This is a difficult situation. Can the community afford the many millions of dollars to build the new Chaparral Middle School? What are the options? When all of the information is compiled for decision-making, it will be discussed in an open meeting. Watch for the meeting to be announced.
