School board and audience members were given more detailed views Wednesday of the proposed Bigfork High School expansion before trustees decided to ask voters to OK the $14 million project.

A mail-ballot election will be Oct. 9 on the $14 million request to fund the $13.8 million project that was envisioned through school and community workshops and drawn up by CTA Architects Engineers.

If the money is approved by voters, construction could be completed by 2018.

An owner of a house with a taxable market value of $200,000 could anticipate taxes would increase by about $70 annually over 20 years if the bond request passes.

Board members approved a concept layout called the “Agora option” at a May 13 meeting. Agora translates to “gathering place” or “assembly” in ancient Greek.

The Agora concept includes 24,000 square feet of new construction and renovation of 46,000 square feet of the existing high school building and 10,000 square feet of the auto and wood shop.

The project provides for a minimum of eight new classrooms in addition to upgrading existing classrooms, ensuring high school classes housed in the middle school will move back into the high school, and bringing classes out of converted closets and storage rooms.

In the early stages of planning, classrooms have not yet been given specific function by subject areas in the Agora concept layout, but Bigfork Superintendent Matt Jensen emphasized the project includes upgrades to the auto and wood shop and science labs. Plans also provide for separate band and choir rooms.

“There’s a lot of flexibility there with how teachers want to use these spaces,” said Fran Quiram of CTA. “This plan supports all of that flexibility whether it’s a departmentalized or project-based curriculum.”

The Agora concept includes moving the library and media room to the first floor that will likely be larger than the current space and more open, according to David Koel of CTA .

“What we’re showing here in this diagram is the walls may be glass, or something that can slide back, allow a little bit more expansion. You don’t need an enclosed space anymore,” Koel said. “It’s more of a learning space than a quiet space. Allowing that to kind of flex in and out of the social space was an idea.”

A district librarian in the audience suggested the library be designed in such a way that community groups could access the library but not the rest of the school. Koel said was a good idea and could be considered as plans are refined.

Administrative offices are also proposed to be moved near the main entrance, improving security, Quiram said.

“One thing our group identified is that the front door really isn’t obvious in the existing school,” Quiram said. “Identification of the front door really allows for the one point of entry. It really improves security for visitors coming in and out of the school.”

A gym expansion, new locker rooms, a courtyard and common areas are all part of the plan. Koel explained the purpose of common areas as places students can eat lunch, read, gather in small groups and do projects.

For the gym expansion, the idea is to lower the floor to increase the ceiling height and meet requirements to host athletic tournaments.

The plan includes redesigning parking lots and pickup and drop-off areas so they are more organized and safe and relocating the bus barn, providing room for future building additions.

After seeking public comment and approval of the exterior concepts trustee Zack Anderson said, “This is the road map.”

Out in the audience, English teacher Charlie Appleby exclaimed, “Whoop, whoop.”

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at [email protected].