‘The district has done well in maintaining the existing buildings, although the high school building is a good candidate for modernization to extend its service to the community for another 30 years.’ 

Othello School District study and survey 

OTHELLO — There’s no timeline, and any possible construction bond is still in the discussion phase, but Othello School Board members and Othello School District officials may be asking for a bond in the next few years. Board members have approved a facility analysis that’s one of the requirements for the district to qualify for state construction funding.  

Assistant Superintendent Josh Meek said the report analyzed the condition of all OSD facilities, all the properties as well as the buildings. 

“We know the high school is probably at the top of that list, but what about the other things? What about the roof at Lutacaga (Elementary) and playgrounds that need replacement and pavement that needs to be fixed and all the projects that are out there?” Meek said. 

In answer to a question from board member Aaron Gerber, Meek said the report doesn’t commit the district to a bond by any specific date, or at any specific time. 

“The information is just a general guidepost. It doesn’t lock us into anything,” Meek said.  

The analysis was conducted by Architects West, which has worked on previous OSD projects. The report’s authors concluded OSD’s campuses are in pretty good repair. 

“The district has done well in maintaining the existing buildings, although the high school building is a good candidate for modernization to extend its service to the community for another 30 years,” the report said. 

The report evaluated each campus on a percentage scale. 

“What percentage do we start to worry? Where do we go, ‘Oh, this is a problem?’” Gerber asked. 

Meek said ratings in the 60 to 70% range and lower would be cause for concern. Othello’s maintenance employees have kept the district in good repair, he said. 

“A lot of these scores, when you look at them, are probably a little bit higher than what some of us would anticipate,” he said. “We think of a building and we think, ‘That’s got to score really low,’ but because of the great work of our maintenance team, they score fairly high.” 

Othello High School includes five primary buildings which, the report said, need some work. The heating-cooling systems in some buildings are in need of upgrading, it said, and most of them need some roof repair. Exterior drainage is a challenge for some buildings, the report said.  

The report’s authors also analyzed the benefits of remodeling the existing high school versus replacing it.  

The existing site doesn’t have room to expand, and some of the existing buildings don’t qualify for state construction funds, it said. A new OHS on a new site would have room to expand but would be more expensive.  

“The benefits to new construction would be a more tailored program and being free from the constraints of an existing site, obviously at a higher dollar cost," the report said. "The benefits to modernization would be a lower financial cost, but the loss of functionality as well as safety and future expansion." 

Some wear and tear was found throughout most buildings, it said, with upgrades to doors and windows recommended throughout the district. Most buildings need some roof repairs. 

The report recommended replacing the roofs at Lutacaga Elementary and McFarland Middle School within five years.  

The authors also analyzed enrollment data, beginning in 2020, with projections to 2031. District-wide enrollment was highest in 2022, with the equivalent of 4,566 students. It dropped to the equivalent of 4,355 students in 2025 and is projected to keep declining through 2031. Enrollment is projected to be the equivalent of about 4,249 students in 2026 and the equivalent of 3,954 students by 2030.