Iowa Falls school building fixes could cost millions

Iowa Falls School Board members weren’t surprised by the lengthy list of suggested building repairs that was presented to them during a special meeting Tuesday afternoon. They knew the aging schools’ heating systems were outdated, and that the flooring, ceiling tiles and light fixtures need to be replaced. But the rough estimate of the amount of money it would take to do everything on that list - nearly $29 million - left them wondering whether it would make more sense to consider building a new school.

The board met this week to hear the results of a facilities assessment that was conducted over the last two months. Representatives of Denovo and KCL Engineering presented their findings in a 37-page report that lays out each building’s HVAC, plumbing, electrical, lighting and interior finish needs. It also includes rough predictions of the cost of each upgrade based on square footage and recent bid prices for similar projects. Company representatives warned that the prices were “worst case scenario” in many cases.