State will help Castle Rock cover cost of Vader school demolition
Friday, November 28, 2008 11:39 PM PST
By Barbara LaBoe
Printable version
E-mail this articleCASTLE ROCK — The school district here will recoup the extra costs of tearing down the Vader School, officials learned this week.
Castle Rock Superintendent Susan Barker told the school board Tuesday that she hoped to have “a nice Christmas present” for them at the Dec. 23 meeting. Wednesday she heard for sure that state officials agreed to reimburse the district after the initial bill was recalculated.
In October, Barker sent a $46,366 bill to the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction for time district employees spent planning the demolition of the condemned school. After more discussions with the state, Barker said she revised the figure to $31,296 because employee time already was covered in the indirect costs she also had included.
The Legislature earmarked $200,000 for the school’s demolition and the work was completed in August. The demolition cost $141,440 and Barker argued that the district should be able to recoup its other costs from the remaining state money.
“If the state believed they could tear down the building without administrative costs they should have done it themselves,” she said in October. The district’s administrative costs included time spent getting permits, readying the bids and supervising the demolition.
Castle Rock absorbed the Vader district and school in 2007 after voters failed three levies and bonds in a role and the Vader School Board voted to disband. Part of the enticement to take over the district was that Castle Rock voters would not have to pay to remove the Vader school. The 1950s building was shut down by Lewis County officials due to electrical and other concerns.
It took some back and forth, but Barker said she was thrilled she finally got state officials to see things her way.
“That’s the most money I’ve made in a morning in a long time,” she quipped Wednesday.
The money will go to the district’s capital fund to help with building maintenance and repairs. The rest of the demolition money will revert back to the state.
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