Loyal moving ahead with talks on possible dome project

Talks on a possible major facility upgrade are heating up in the Loyal School District, and soon the public will be asked for its input into a potential multi-million dollar project. If all proceeds as now envisioned, school district voters could be heading to the polls in April 2022 for possible approval of a building project that could include a concrete dome structure largely funded by federal grant money.

Following the lead of Spencer, Abbotsford and Owen-Withee, the Loyal School District has already applied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a grant that could bring more than $3 million into the district for construction of a dome structure on school grounds that would double as a community emergency storm shelter. If the FEMA grant application is accepted — the district expects to find out in June — the FEMA grant would pay for the tornado-proof concrete structure while the district would be responsible for the costs of outfitting the interior for use by the school. What might go inside a dome has yet to be determined, and that’s where the public input will help.

District Administrator Chris Lindner said a committee of administrators and staff members has been compiling information about a possible project. A first step was to submit the FEMA grant application, and that was done in January. That step does not commit the district to anything, as the grant could be turned down if the district decides not to move forward.

Lindner said the grant possibility ties in well with ongoing talks the district has been having regarding its facilities. It already hired a consultant to study the outdoor facilities including the football, baseball and softball fields and what might be done to upgrade them, but now the planning process has turned to all district facilities. The district has not taken on a major facility upgrade since 1996, and a portion of its school building complex dates back to 1938.

Lindner said the district has already asked the staff for input on what upgrades should be prioritized. By sometime this spring, it will conduct a community survey to see what residents think. Lindner said a survey will be sent to district residents electronically and through regular mail in the next several weeks.

The Spencer district was the first in this area to apply for and receive a FEMA pre-disaster mitigation grant. Its dome structure is currently under construction and is expected to be ready for use by September. FEMA funds are paying for the dome, which will be used by the Spencer community as a storm shelter, while the district is funding the interior costs of a gymnasium, fitness center, wrestling area, etc. The Abbotsford and Owen-Withee districts have also applied for and received FEMA grants and are planning their projects.

Lindner said the process of identifying what Loyal could use the space for is underway. An architectural firm has already drafted several versions of possible blueprints as more input comes in.

“It’s been a work in progress,” Lindner said. ”Our wish list was huge. Now we’re funneling it down so it’s a little more manageable for us.”

At this time, thoughts are to have a new gymnasium in the dome, as well as a fitness center. It would also be outfitted for use for music, drama and other school functions.

That could change, especially as the district asks the community what it might want.

“Will other things pop up?” Lindner said. “We’ll see once what they say.”

Lindner said the committee is looking at the entire school environment as it moves forward. One need that has been identified is a secure main entrance for the entire school complex. Currently, there is a high school entrance on the south side of the building and an elementary entrance on the east side, but both of those present security issues.

A possible solution would be a single main entrance on the building’s west side, near where a dome might be built and attached to the main complex. It could include a secure entrance with a main office, student commons/ cafeteria area, and even a central library. Those are all ideas Lindner said are being discussed as the committee identifies needs and what could be solved in a building project.

Lindner said the likely spot for a dome would be somewhere on the west side of the high school area. That would impact outdoor athletic facilities including the baseball and football fields, but the district has already been looking at ways to improve those.

“We know we need to do something with them,” Lindner said.

Other areas of the school that have gone decades without improvements could also get upgrades. The high school Family and Consumer Science room is one example.

“It’s never been touched since 1963,” Lindner said.

The shop area is another that could use space increases and modernization.

As for the financial aspect of a project, Lindner said it’s too early to know. A major piece of that puzzle will be the FEMA grant. Based on a projected dome size (which was established based on the population that could possibly use it in the event of a tornado), the district could receive approximately $3.8 million. The cost of interior construction would depend on what the eventual uses would be.

The district has received a financial report from Baird & Co. outlining its current situation. The district has no long-term debt, and its property tax rate is among the lowest of area schools, the report shows.

Lindner said the district also has to consider its operating situation. It is currently in the third year of a 5-year revenue cap exemption referendum, and will likely need to ask voters to extend that in 2023.

Community input will be the next step in the process. Not only will residents be asked for their thoughts, Lindner said, but several will be needed to sit in on focus groups to further explore ideas. If the grant is approved in June, the district would want some more firm ideas of construction plans by fall.

Lindner said much will depend on what the school hears from the public.

“I think our facilities are alright, but some of them we haven’t done enough to,” he said. “We need to seriously look at upgrades. Obviously, our community is going to let us know if they think that’s a good idea.”