Southeast Polk schools plans to add more bus parking to accommodate student growth
Another construction project is moving forward in the Southeast Polk Community School District that will fulfill a need for more warehouse space and bus parking.
The Pleasant Hill City Council approved a site plan for a new 9,700 square-foot building and grounds storage warehouse and 15 additional bus parking spaces in the 8400 block of University Avenue, east of the junior high school.
The project was part of the $92 million bond referendum that voters approved in 2020. The district cited a need for more warehouse and bus parking space as student population grows, and a desire to demolish a former district office building that was built decades ago.
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The new warehouse would replace the former district offices, while the new bus parking would be added near the buildings further east to bring a total of about 80 spaces. A nearby trailer building that was used as temporary office space recently went up for auction.
The estimated cost for the warehouse and parking expansion is $5.1 million. Construction could begin in May and be finished in November, according to bidding documents. The school board has not yet accepted a construction bid.
Other referendum projects in the works include softball field improvements and a new multipurpose stadium — which are expected to finish in May after months of delays — and a new school for sixth and seventh grades that is on track to open in 2024.
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Other planned projects as part of the referendum include a new district office and a new elementary school. The district has grown by about 600 students in the past decade to reach 7,200, according to state records, as Altoona and Pleasant Hill grow.
Chris Higgins covers the eastern suburbs for the Register. Reach him at chiggins@registermedia.com or 515-423-5146 and follow him on Twitter @chris_higgins_.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Storage, bus parking expansion in Southeast Polk moves forward
