Mt. Stuart Elementary

Project Information

Location: 705 West 15th Avenue
Square Footage: Approximately 55,000
Classrooms: 21 classrooms K-5 with classrooms for learning specialists
Student Capacity: Approximately 500 students
Funding Source: 2018 Capital Bond Project
Architect: Integrus Architecture
Construction Management: OAC Services
Contractor: Garco Construction
Anticipated Completion: Winter, 2021

Project Overview

The original 34,100 square foot building was built in 1967 and a 6,730 square foot gymnasium was added on in 1993. The plan is to construct a new 500 student, 55,000 square foot K-5 school on an existing Mt. Stuart site. The new school consists of new general classrooms, special education/resource rooms, library, kitchen, gymnasium, commons, music room to accommodate band/choir program, administrative, counseling and educational support spaces. Once completed, students/staff and resources will occupy the new school and the existing structure will be abated and demolished. Final site and playground landscaping would be completed in this phase.

New in Lieu of Modernization

Resolution No. 17.07.19 - Certifying that per Board Policy #6920, the Board has reviewed and approves of the Schematic Design, prepared by Integrus Architecture, for the New Elementary School and New Mt. Stuart Elementary School assuring that the new facilities are readily accessible to, and usable by, individuals with disabilities.

Resolution No. 11.03.19 - Certifying that new facilities identified in the project application (Form D-3) submitted to the Office of modernizing existing facilities, and that the existing facilities will be demolished, or will not be used in the future for instructional purposes or be eligible for future state financial assistance

What did the original bond plan envision for the Mt. Stuart project?
Originally, the bond plan was to modernize the existing facility and annex building and construct approximately 15,400 square feet of new classrooms and educational support spaces. The Mt. Stuart staff and students were to move in temporarily to the new school in August, 2021. The modernization and small new construction additions to Mt. Stuart project was to start in July, 2021. Mt. Stuart’s original project completion date is January, 2023.

Since the passage of the bond, the District performed a cost analysis and found the projected costs are less to build a new Mt. Stuart than to modernize the existing school due to many factors. Subjects of consideration include the demolition costs are higher on an entire school (less the existing 1996 gymnasium) than selective demo of portions of the existing Mt. Stuart building. Additionally, when constructing a new building there are significantly fewer unknowns than modernizing an old facility as well as the cost for design fees are higher with modernization/addition projects. Acceleration of the project schedule mitigates escalation costs and is a public fiscal and District benefit.

What was the original Mt. Stuart project budget?
The bond project budget was $23 million dollars. The revised budget is just over $26 million dollars which includes approximately $3.3 million for the Early Learning Center.

Is the District eligible to receive state funding assistance to fund the Mt. Stuart project?
At the time of the bond passage, it was estimated the District was eligible for approximately $5 million in state funding assistance. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) School Construction Assistance Program (SCAP) has approved the District to receive nearly $6.4 million in state funding assistance.

Since new construction is being used, will we lose any state funding assistance?
No. The project has 38,104 square feet in state funding assistance of square foot eligibility using either new or modernization. The 1996 gym addition to Mt Stuart is not eligible for state funding assistance. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) School Construction Assistance Program (SCAP) has approved the District to receive nearly $6.4 million in state funding assistance.

Are there any portions of the existing Mt. Stuart building that are being salvaged?
As part of the analysis, the District project/construction management firm and architects have reviewed in detail the building condition assessment report and recommended the 1996 gym addition as a potential asset and that the District should review whether it should be retained as instructional space or other educational support activities. The gym remains a valuable asset to the community and will be retained.

With the Board considering designing and constructing a new Mt. Stuart Elementary school, were there opportunities for public input on this option?
The Revised Code of Washington requires the Board subsequently determines that state or local circumstances should cause any alteration to the specific expenditures from the debt financing or of the state assistance, the Board shall conduct a public hearing to consider those circumstance and receive public testimony. If the Board then determines that any such alterations are in the best interests of the District, it may adopt and new resolution or amend the original resolution at a public meeting held after the meeting at which public testimony was received.

Public hearing and testimony were held on February 27, 2019 at 5:30 pm at Lincoln Elementary School. After considering public testimony, the Board chose to adopt a new resolution to construct a new Mt. Stuart Elementary School at its March 13, 2019 regular board meeting.

What state or local circumstances has the District considered that would cause an alteration to the original bond plan and expenditure of debt or state assistance?

Significant regional construction market forecast and projects: Central and Eastern Washington construction markets project approximately $700 million dollars in new construction projects within the next 2-3 years in public and private construction projects. The District’s bond projects are in that projection.
High demand and premium for quality general contractors and subcontractors: Given the forecast above, general contracts and more importantly the subcontractor community will be stressed to ‘man each project’. Thus, general contractors and subcontractors are being very strategic in their business plans on which projects and owner’s they desire to pursue. The Board and District’s marketing strategy is to make its project very appealing to the general contractor and subcontracting community.
Current market conditions in construction materials and commodities are escalating higher than normal and higher than was estimated in bond planning budgets: Given the bond budgets, our project/construction management and architectural firms tested the budgets against the current and project market conditions. The construction industry is experiencing escalation over the next 2-3 years to total 12-15% percent over current prices. The bond budget did not anticipate this high of escalation factor.
Mt. Stuart project budget validation and project delivery: Since bond passage and given the circumstances above which will impact the budget, the District took the time with its consultants to test the options to modernize or construct a new Mt. Stuart. They used current and future market conditions and pricing and conducted an external estimate separately from the bond budgets. They used current subcontractors pricing on relevant projects and market conditions to revise the budget. Their analysis confirms at this stage of conceptual planning and support the state/local circumstances above that:
- It is less costly to build a new Mt. Stuart Elementary School than modernize and construct new space onto the existing school
- Owner’s construction contingency budget is less than modernization due to less unknowns and less risk on a new facility
- State fees for architectural and engineering services are less in designing a new facility versus modernization – the design effort to investigate current facility issues and marry them with new designs take longer and additional work effort
- Constructing a new school allows for better design, efficient use of space and program alignment then the existing Mt. Stuart facility
- There is some residual value to retain a portion of the existing Mt. Stuart facility. The 1996 gym is being considered with options to retain it and perform minor construction to this facility.
- Less disruption to educational teaching/learning and fewer moves. A new school will be constructed on the existing site with minimal impact to staff, students and public safety and use of the existing facility.
- With the new construction option, the project has begun and will be completed in time for a January, 2022 move in – one year ahead of the original plan. This saves money on the project.
- The combining of the new elementary school and Mt Stuart new construction into a single project and bid both schools with one general contractor approach creates a larger project which increases general contractors and regional subcontractors’ interest in the project
- The District has decided to combine both projects into one and use the alternate public works project delivery method called General Contractor/Construction Manager (GC/CM) as authorized by the Revised Code of Washington. This approaches bring greater buying power in terms of construction materials and quantities and less cost in contractor overhead and supervision. The proximity of the two sites make it ideal to efficiently schedule and move construction crews to and from each site.

What does new-in-lieu mean?
For new-in-lieu projects a new building is built in lieu of modernizing an existing building consistent with the cost/benefit analysis. A new-in-lieu project receives the same level of funding as if it was a modernization. In order to capture state resources for the project we have to take a building out of the traditional K-12 rotation and build a new building for that purpose.

Modernization vs. New-in-Lieu Decision Paper

Consideration to either Modernize/New Addition or New Construction in lieu of Modernization

Design

Walk Through

Interior Inspiration
Ellensburg and the Kittitas Valley is a truly unique and wonderful place within Washington state with rivers and lakes, rolling plains of agriculture, tree-lined foothills, and of course, the majestic peaks of the surrounding mountain ranges. An option the Integrus Architecture interior design team has proposed is inspired directly from the beauty of our valley.

Application

Student, staff, and visitors will easily be able to identify the location where they are located within the building by the use of differing graphics and flooring individualized by the corresponding color palettes.

Students will progress from kindergarten identified with Rivers to first and second grades, the Plains to third and fourth graders known as the Hills, and finally to fifth grade, the Mountains or Peaks.

The common areas of the building such as the gym, commons, and administrative area will be designed to incorporate all four of the topographies to further provide the sense of unification of the Mt. Stuart community.

Exterior Design Palette

Mt. Stuart Exterior Design Palette

Site Layout
There has been public feedback expressing concern regarding site location of the replacement Mt. Stuart Elementary school being closer to 15th Avenue by building on the playfield to the south of the existing Mt. Stuart Elementary. With this feedback taken into consideration, the District has determined to construct to the north of the existing Mt. Stuart instead. By doing so, we are able to increase the distance from 15th Avenue to the proposed driveways and parking lots for the new Mt. Stuart, allowing more distance for cars to queue during peak drop-off and pick-up hours, and the existing parking lot is allowed to remain intact and able to be used during and after construction.

Mt. Stuart placement

Mt. Stuart after demo

Mt. Stuart front entry

Mt. Stuart Elementary Floor Plan

Value Engineering Phase

Proposed Value Engineering Consideration Items:

Classroom clerestories
Classroom window arrangement
Building height reduction
Gym and Commons organization
Site development cost reduction

Mt. Stuart design before Value Engineering

^{Mt. Stuart Elementary Prior to Value Engineering}

Mt. Stuart design after Value Engineering

^{Mt. Stuart Elementary After Value Engineering}

50% Design Development Phase

Design as it is know at the time of the 50% Design Development phase completion.

Schematic Design Phase
Design as it is known at time of the Schematic Design phase completion.

Guiding Principles

Image/Identity

Honor the history of the Ellensburg community
Honor the diversity of cultures and traditions in the region
Connect to the outdoors and nature, capture views of the surrounding natural environment
Use the community and university to provide learning and literacy richness
Highlight regional industry (alternative energy, agriculture, local business)

Outdoor Learning/Play

Include intentional outdoor spaces that foster learning and creativity
Integrate elements of play throughout the site and building
Design outdoor spaces to be flexible with a variety of areas for exploration and discovery
Foster a sense of stewardship for the environment

Maintenance & Durability

Provide enduring material for evolving education solutions
Design for an abundance of natural daylight, passive solar, and view
Create adaptive spaces to ensure future use
Provide a variety of easy to maintain materials and textures

Community Use & Evolving Trends

The entire community should be welcomed and invited to utilize the school
Provide flexibility for both learning and community activities
Provide intentional student-centered spaces
Design adaptable spaces and infrastructure for changing educational models and community needs
Represent the community's value of stewardship

Mt. Stuart Elementary School Project Overview
The original 34,100 square foot building was constructed in 1967 and has had several modifications since. A 4,001 square foot annex was added in 1972, and a 6,730 square foot gymnasium was added in 1993. The original construction was funded in part by a grant from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. Conditions of this grant include maintaining 18 acres of conservation land for recreation purposes. This land may be maintained on the site or moved to the adjacent new elementary site.

The new Mt. Stuart project is proposed as a 500 student, 57,500 square foot K-5 school on the existing Mt. Stuart site. The new school would contain general classrooms, special education/resource rooms, library, kitchen, gymnasium, commons, music room to accommodate the music, and orchestra program, administrative, counseling, and educational support spaces. Once the new Mt. Stuart is complete, students and staff will move to their new facility and the existing structure will be abated and demolished. After students and staff move into the new building, final site and playground landscaping will be completed, approximately in the location of the existing school.

GC/CM
The construction delivery method will be the General Contractor/Construction Manager (GC/CM) model for the Mt. Stuart Elementary School. This method allows for the School District to hire one contractor who will team with the School District and the designers to provide their construction expertise through the design, permitting, and construction phases which was completed in April, 2019.

The project has some demanding features that will need the contractor's input including required coordination with existing utilities and local, state, and federal agencies. Issues that will need to be addressed after Schematic Design include:

Cost impacts for scheduling and feasibility.
Good/safe access for public/student/staff and construction worker safety.
Integrating new and existing site utilities on adjacent sites.
Maintaining service access for existing site and building components.
Maintaining service and access to adjacent public and private spaces/residences.
Finding and using the best combination of local and regional source for labor and materials.

Exploration Sketches

South entry is large and protected with covered courtyard
East bus drop off is protected by the gym
Outdoor learning areas separated from the commons courtyard and accessed across circulation
Commons courtyard protected by the gym and adjacent to hardscape play
Protected hardscape play is east of the gym
Isolated kindergarten play space
Shared spaces for classrooms are off of the corridor

Mt. Stuart Cluster Design

^{Mt. Stuart Elementary Cluster Design}

Mt. Stuart Missing Tooth Design

^{Mt. Stuart Elementary Missing Tooth Design}

Shaping the Building

Listen. Process. Draw. Repeat.

Project Understanding
There were a variety of programmatic and site constraints that helped guide the site diagrams and special arrangements for the new Mt. Stuart Elementary.

Many of the committee's and students' favorite elements from the Educational Specifications are carried into the schematic design phase of the new Mt. Stuart Elementary school. Natural daylight, flexible teaching areas, a comfortable building scale for kids, views to the outside, landscaping, greenery, and courtyards where kids have a protected area to explore, learn, and engage in an outdoor learning environment are fundamental to the design of the new facility.

Specific programmatic goals were identified during the meetings with the committee during the Educational Specifications and Schematic Design Phase:

Classrooms: The school will house a K-5 configuration with a flex space and will include the autism program and associated support spaces. Every classroom has views to the exterior and an abundance of natural daylight. The building groups classrooms with flexible indoor/outdoor shared teaching areas. Flexibility and concept of shared teaching is accommodated with breakout spaces, specialists' offices, and spaces for volunteers to work with students are evenly distributed throughout the building.
Shared Instruction Space: A connection is needed between bus drop off and student drop off and the multi-purpose/gym area and front entry so students can enter directly into the school. The playground should also have a strong connection to the multi-purpose/gym area and existing gymnasium (which is to remain). Public accessible areas need to be adjacent to the courtyard and front door.
Shared Support Space: Connections between indoors and outdoor courtyard needs to be thoughtful and specific to student access and safety without limiting public access unnecessarily. The entry to the building needs to be visually obvious, provide safe and secure access while drawing students and community into the heart of the building.
Guiding Principles:
- Image/Identity — Create an inviting and unique school that enhances student activity and reflects the values of the Mt. Stuart community.
- Teaching/Learning — Provide supportive and inclusive spaces that encourage student/staff interaction and inspire student learning, exploration, and collaboration.
- Outdoor Learning/Play — Provide inviting outdoor gathering, teaching, and play areas that promote learning, exporation, and connection to the environment.
- Safety/Security — Create a warm, welcoming facility that nurtures community values and promotes a feeling of inclusion, comfort, and safety.
- Maintenance/Durability — Develop a facility that is easily accessible, easy to use, and easy to maintain.
Innovation: Through an open exchange of ideas and our research-backed design approach, we are continually building on previous work while fostering an attitude that encourages innovative breakthrough thinking. To maintain this attitude, we are critical of everything we do and restless in our pursuit of ever-better results.

Architectural Narrative
Numerous site diagrams were studied with the District to better understand the best ways to access and efficiently utilize the site. Given the fact that the existing school needs to remain in operation while the new school is being constructed the existing site geometries suggest that the most buildable area would be the south area of the site. North of the existing school, Annex, and three portables is the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) area. The southern area of the site while not overly generous does accommodate the new school’s footprint nicely while avoiding disturbing existing site utilities and getting unnecessarily close to the existing building. Two significant decisions which shaped the conceptual site diagram process were providing bus access/parking from the newly developed Cora Street and maintaining access to the existing gymnasium (which is to remain). This configuration will also accommodate a student drop off/parking area and main entry oriented to the east. The bus lane will be able to be separated from the student drop off and parking and provide better main entry hierarchy and image for the school and parents.

Generally, the building is organized around a courtyard that opens to the north and new proposed playfields. The courtyard becomes the heart of the building providing both daylight and views from classrooms, breakout spaces, and learning spaces. The courtyard concept is supported by the Mt. Stuart staff. Many of the Mt. Stuart students spend significant time participating in outdoor activities. The outdoor learning activities are envisioned as an extension of these personal activities at the new school. The classrooms are organized in “neighborhood” groupings to enhance and help create the courtyard concept while providing flexibility and identity in how classrooms and grades could be organized. The main building entry is flanked by the kindergarten grouping and the commons and gymnasium with the administrative and reception areas in the center. The lobby/waiting space provides daylight and views directly into the courtyard. This space is intersected by double loaded corridors which runs around the courtyard. The multi-purpose room/gymnasium, administrative suite, and support rooms are all accessed from this circulation spine. The front of the school highlights the front door for easy and logical way finding. The main classroom circulation can be secured after hours allowing for community access only to the public spaces and restrooms.

The building exterior will consist of a masonry wainscot, hardboard siding, storefront glass, and metal panel as appropriate, materials that are enduring, cost effective, and easily maintained. Colors and tones will be warm and inviting and overall the materials will be sustainable and appropriate for an elementary school. Overall building image, scale, and proportioning become important as it should relate to the Mt. Stuart neighborhood and overall community. We want to make sure this school is unique to its particular context.

As mentioned previously, the main entry to the new school will be to the east. Staff parking for the new school and annex will be north of the structure where the existing Mt. Stuart Elementary is located. The main public parking is to be accessed from Cora Street. This was important to the staff to help with their school’s identity, image, and being able to better see who’s coming and going. The playfields are located to the north to take advantage of the space available and existing RCO areas when the existing school is demolished. The playground is located to the north of the gymnasium/multi-purpose room for easy access and visual security. The service drive and small staff parking area will be located to the northwest providing easy access to the kitchen and service and entry to the school from the courtyard is desired. The courtyard offers great opportunities for student gardens, outdoor learning, and play. This outdoor space will consist of a combination of simple landscaped areas, hardscape, and lawn and will be easily accessed and maintained by District staff. The general orientation of the building takes into account sun angles and proper shading where needed, as well as reducing cooling loads and operational costs.

Programs

Programs Designed as Known at 50% Design Development Phase

Autism
The Autism program is provided to students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), who require intensive instruction to support communication, adaptive self-help, social skills, and academic acquisition. Students are provided a highly structured environment where research based interventions in the area of Autism are applied.

Early Childhood Special Education
Early childhood special education is provided to eligible children, ages three through five, with the support of District special education personnel, including teachers , paraedcuators, speech-language pathologist, occupational therapists, and other specialists.

Occupational Therapy (OT)
School-based occupational therapy practitioners are occupational therapists (OTs) and occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) who use meaningful activities to help children participate in what they need and/or want to do in order to promote physical and mental health and well-being. Occupational therapy addresses the physical, cognitive, psychosocial and sensory components of performance. In schools, occupational therapy practitioners focus on academics, play and leisure, social participation, self-care skills, and transition/work skills.

Physical Therapy (PT)
School-based physical therapists (PT) are part of a team of related service providers who support a student’s ability to access his/her educational environment. As specialists in movement, they assist a student’s physical participation in a variety of settings throughout the school day. The primary role of the school PT is to help students benefit from their educational program within the educational environment.

Physical therapy is provided at schools only when it is related to educational needs. Intervention and goals in the school setting address the child’s functional needs in accessing all areas of the school curriculum. Physical therapy interventions are designed to enable the student to travel throughout the school environment; participate in classroom activities; maintain and change positions in the classroom; as well as manage stairs, restrooms, and the cafeteria. School-based therapy is not intended to meet all of the therapeutic needs of a student; rather it is intended to ensure that a child can have physical access to his or her education.

Resource Rooms
Resource Room I
The Resource Room I is for students with identified disabilities who demonstrate primary learning needs in the academic domain or in adaptive skills. They may need intensive, specially designed instruction to learn how to read, write, and solve mathematical calculations and problems. They may have special needs in social-emotional and/or functional life skills domains as well.

Resource Room II
Resource Room II is provided for students with identified disabilities who demonstrate an increased need in one or more domains. Students receiving learning resource center support, receive half or more of their daily instruction through general education, along with specially designed instruction in learning areas or other areas of identified need.

Speech Therapy
Speech therapy is an intervention service that focuses on improving a child's speech and abilities to understand and express language, including nonverbal language. Speech therapists, or speech and language pathologists (SLPs) provide these services.

RCO Land

In 1964, Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) granted the Ellensburg Neighborhood Park, Mt. Stuart Elementary School the approximately 18 acres to the north of Mt. Stuart Elementary, which has been set aside as a neighborhood park that is available for public outdoor recreational use during non-school hours and is a federal obligation shared by the Ellensburg School District and the Recreation Conservation Office (RCO).

There has been much discussion concerning the transfer of the RCO land obligation to the City of Ellensburg or to a portion of the recently purchased property to the north of the Palouse to Cascade (John Wayne) Trail. In light of the recent re-classification by the Department of Ecology of the wetland category, the District has opted to retain the RCO land obligation. What this means is the obligation for a public outdoor recreational use site will be continued by the District and no land swaps between the City of Ellensburg and the Ellensburg School District will be conducted with regard to the RCO land.

The RCO land is an opportunity currently utilized by the elementary teachers of Ellensburg School District to teach students about different aspects of nature and will continue to be.