Houston Middle School demolition and construction timeline

PALMER — After the demolition of Houston Middle School began on Monday morning, the Mat-Su Borough School District School Board and Mat-Su Borough Assembly met in a joint meeting to discuss design plans, funding and the schedule for building the school. Contractors have 60 days to complete demolition and remove all debris and Borough Project Manager Jeff Walden said the next cost assessment would arrive in mid-January. The total estimated cost of the rebuild is approximately $32 million.

“That gave us a total of $27.4 million to start with this program. At this point, we have expended or encumbered the $848,000 for demo and $3.2 million for the total design,” said Mat-Su Borough Finance Director Cheyenne Heindel. “So right now for funding that is available that we have on hand we have $23.3 million.”

In the aftermath of the Magnitude 7.1 Nov. 30 earthquake in 2018, the assembly and school district began planning to provide two school buildings for middle school and high school students in Houston, who currently share what was formerly Houston High School, along with over a dozen portable classrooms. The MSBSD has already contributed $5.9 million along with $15 million from the Borough’s primary insurance policy. Numerous questions were answered about the funding decisions from the secondary insurance policy and the Federal Emergency Management Agency on whether or not the “50% rule” will apply, triggering reimbursement funds from FEMA.

“We’re optimistic that we may cross that 50% threshold, but in the end FEMA’s not going to provide a determination to us until we settle the insurance so that’s our primary focus right now,” said Borough Manager Mike Brown.

Documents for the bid are expected to be released late in February of next year with construction to follow. The expected open date for the new school building is for the start of the 2022 school year.

“I know it’s emotional for people out in that community there’s lots and lots of memories with that school but I think that everybody recognizes that this is a step to make it even better out there in Houston,” said MSBSD Superintendent Dr. Randy Trani.

Trani said that with the current standards of School Bond Debt Reimbursement, the school funded primarily through insurance due to the earthquake was larger than would typically be built for a student population of that size. MSBSD School Board President Ole Larson was concerned about the price of furnishing the school once built, an estimated cost between $1.5 and $2 million.

“What I hope will be accomplished between the borough and the school district is some sort of agreement on where this money is going to come form to furnish the schools with proper new furnishings,” said Larson.