Add as a preferred source on Google

Iowa School District Moves Forward on Long-Awaited Bus Barn

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/12/21

In the Spirit Lake Community School District in Spirit Lake, Iowa, the school board has awarded a construction bid for a project that Superintendent Dr. David Smith says has been in the pipeline for quite some time—a “bus barn” to house the district’s school buses. Following the completion of other district improvements like the addition of an Early Childhood Center and renovations to the middle school, Smith said there were enough funds left over to pursue its construction.

Dean Madigan of Madigan Construction was awarded the bid. “It will cost us close to $725,000 in the end with all our expenses, roughly around there, so we’re just really excited to get moving on it,” said Smith.

School bus

Smith said construction will begin soon and that the project is scheduled to be completed by Sept. 1. The bus facility’s new home lies south of the district middle school.

“We’re looking at one full, heated, completely insulated shop,” he said, “and then we’re looking at two other buildings—kind of more of a cold-storage concept to those two, where we will just have a shell of a building…As we move forward, we’ll add insulation. We’ll do other things to make it complete.”

Smith touted the district bus fleet’s perfect inspection record. He said that having a central, heated location for storage and maintenance will serve as a good starting point for future endeavors, as well as provide safety and security benefits.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • textured paper collage shows a school building on fire as a fire truck sprays water into the flames

    Why a Fire Loss Is More than Flames

    We've all seen what fire damage can do to a property, but the types of damage building owners often encounter after a fire loss can exceed expectations. Having full awareness of the different forms of damage properties can sustain helps owners respond faster, reduce continued damage, and get back on the road to recovery in short order.

  • Texas District Finishes Construction on New Middle School, Admin Building

    The Westwood Independent School District recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Westwood Middle School and Administration Building in Palestine, Texas, according to a news release. The campus covers 106,000 square feet and has the capacity for 650 students in grades 6–8, and it will also play home to the district’s staff and administration.

  • Image credit: O

    Strategic Campus Assessment: Moving Beyond Reactive Maintenance in Educational Facilities

    While campuses may appear stable on the surface, building systems naturally evolve over time, and proactive assessment can identify developing issues before they become expensive emergencies. The question isn't whether aging educational facilities need attention. It's how institutions can transition from costly reactive maintenance to strategic asset management in a way that protects both budgets and communities.

  • California K–12 District Opens New Athletic Complex, Gym

    The San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD) in San Mateo, Calif., recently announced the completion of two new athletics facilities: a new gymnasium at Burlingame High School, and a new athletic training complex at San Mateo High School, according to a news release.

Digital Edition