Kalispell Public Schools trustees are moving forward with plans to build classroom additions at two elementary schools to relieve overcrowding.

A new central kitchen also would be built at Kalispell Middle School if voters approve funding for the projects.

The estimated price tag is $3.6 million.

Administrators will return with a bond resolution recommendation at the June 26 board of trustees meeting. 

The bonds, if approved, would fund construction of four additional classrooms totaling 4,000 square feet at Edgerton Elementary School and four additional classrooms including a multi-purpose room totaling 8,000 square feet at Peterson Elementary, plus the new kitchen at Kalispell Middle School. 

At Edgerton, the classrooms would be added to both floors of the school’s existing wings. The Peterson additions would be connected to the southeast side of the school. 

The district has struggled to meet state accreditation in kindergarten through second-grade classes. To meet state accreditation there should be no more than 20 students per class. 

In February, Kalispell kindergarten enrollment was at 359 (30 more students than last year) with class sizes averaging 24 students.

First-grade enrollment was at 337 (29 more than last year) with classes averaging 22 students. In second grade, enrollment was 300 (14 more than last year) with an average of 22 students per class. The district is gathering data to project next year’s enrollment numbers.

At a board meeting last week, trustee Anne Marie Bailey questioned if eight classrooms would be enough to make a significant impact. Eight classrooms could reduce class sizes by a few students. 

“It’s a start,” trustee Frank Miller said. “We can take care of our immediate needs and move forward if the economy starts getting better, people may be more willing to look down the road a little bit for building a new school.”

In May, voters approved a special $211,500 elementary district levy to provide more staff support in classrooms as a short-term solution to alleviate overcrowding. This money will be enough to fund half of the staffing needed for new classrooms.

Corey Johnson of CTA Architects Engineers said elementary additions would cost slightly more per square foot than building a new elementary school. 

It would cost roughly $11.1 million to build a new 56,787-square-foot school to accommodate 420 students. Superintendent Darlene Schottle said the concern with building a new school is determining whether or not the rate of student enrollment growth is consistent or just a bubble. 

A new 5,000-square-foot central kitchen is estimated to cost $1,262,447 of the $3.6 million total. The current kitchen is at Flathead High School. The district has wanted to remodel or relocate the kitchen for several years because of safety, health and access concerns.

Trustees decided to abandon the idea of renovating a warehouse at 33 Meridian Court into a central kitchen when engineers advised them the narrow shape of the building restricted the layout. In 2010, the district purchased the property for $345,000. 

Factoring in the decision was the limited space outside for trucks to maneuver, plus renovation costs estimated between $600,000 and $700,000 that exceeded the district’s anticipated budget. With the district’s auxiliary services building up for sale, the warehouse could more easily be modified into storage or office space, Johnson said.

Food Services Director Jenny Montague said the layout at the Meridian Court property would be inefficient to serve a large district such as Kalispell’s. Johnson agreed.

“The benefit of the middle school site is that programmatically, it will provide the best layout for the district kitchen,” Johnson said. “Perhaps the Meridian site is better suited for storage or offices.”

A total of $250,000 is in elementary building reserve funds for a new central kitchen.

After hearing that 45 percent of the district’s students are eligible for free and reduced lunches, audience member Duane Dierenfield of Kalispell said a bond request may be a tough sell.

The free and reduced number “tells me the working public out there with low incomes are having trouble just getting their kids fed,” Dierenfield said.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.