Classroom crunch at Prior Lake High

Elizabeth Flores, Star Tribune

David Graham taught a sophomore English class at Prior Lake High School. Relief for the crowded school is far away after a referendum to raise funds to expand the school failed. A task force attributed the levy’s failure to the weak economy, the housing bust and a belief that the addition was too costly and unnecessary.

Five years after opening, Prior Lake High School is already running out of space. What comes next?

By EMILY JOHNS, Star Tribune

Last update: February 27, 2008 - 12:26 AM

For five minutes between classes, the halls of Prior Lake High School jam with 2,000 noisy students trying to get to lockers and the next class. Long lines clog the main atrium for the four lunch periods. The place is only five years old, but it's full.

"It's definitely crowded," said Principal Dave Lund. "The school is just too small."

Prior Lake-Savage is one of the state's fastest-growing districts. The high school expects to have 100 more students next year, and even a housing slump can't affect the growth that has already occurred in lower grades barreling toward the high school.

In November, a $28.9 million bond referendum to add 100,000 square feet to the school was handily defeated amid voter concerns over rising property taxes and economic stress.

So now, the school board has reassembled a community group that's analyzed the district's growth over the years and charged it with answering this question: Now what are we supposed to do?

Designed to expand

Prior Lake High School, which is in Savage, opened in September 2003 at 354,000 square feet and a capacity of 2,000 students. According to the school district, it was built to be added onto. It has three classroom wings, and a building project would add another wing to the southwest side of the school. It would also include more common space, such as an addition to the cafeteria.

The community group analyzing the growth -- called the Growth Task Force -- has listed several reasons it believes the referendum failed. The group cited the economic environment, a belief that the housing bust means the extra space isn't necessary, a frustration with growing property taxes and a belief that the addition was too expensive.

"It was caught up in the economy," said parent Steve Sammis, a member of the task force. "People don't get to vote on county taxes or city taxes, the only place they can go vote 'no' is on school referendums."

The task force has decided that, despite the rejection, an addition to the high school is still the way to go. But if another referendum fails, a backup plan needs to be readied.

Options being considered involve portable classrooms, split shifts or year-round school. All three options are ways to increase the capacity of the building. Split shifts mean half the students would go to the school at one time, and the other half later in the day.

"Each one of those things has a cost impact, for sure," Sammis said. "But the need is there; the building is full today. And there's no debate that the growth is still coming. Something will have to happen."

Another vote?

If a bond were to be approved, it would likely take two years of planning and construction before an addition would be ready, according to Scott McQueen, a partner with Wold Architects and Engineers, the firm that designed the high school.

He said that each year approval of the project is delayed, the community should expect about a 6 percent increase in construction costs.

Unlike levy referendums, bond referendums do not need to be held at the same time as general elections. The school district could bring another request for funds to the voters at any time, as long as it's not too close to another election, said Superintendent Tom Westerhaus.

The task force is hoping to present its recommendations to the school board as early as March 10.

"It's always tough to decipher what a 'no' vote means," McQueen said. "Sometimes, it means don't ever come back again. Sometimes, it means come back with something different, or sometimes it means come back with the same thing but at a different time. November of '07 was just not the right time. It could be just as simple as that."

Emily Johns • 952-882-9056