Following their approval to develop a new, standalone site for Lewis-Palmer D-38’s Homeschool Enrichment Academy, the school district’s board of education approved its construction plan at their June 16 meeting, though the price tag is now a bit higher than what they originally anticipated.

During a presentation to the board, D-38’s Chief Business Officer Brett Ridgeway said that they had taken a step back with the project vendor they originally selected after discovering issues with building code compliance and structural safety.

D-38’s facilities and grounds director Melissa Andrews added that they then considered multiple alternatives before boiling their options down to two vendors, which included an updated proposal by Palomar Modular Buildings, whom the district initially selected.

Of these two, Palomar’s cost $1.2 million less than the other while guaranteeing comparable quality, so Ridgeway and Andrews recommended that the board approve this contract. In the new design, a hallway now connects the two modular structures under a single roof and features separate bathrooms for students and staff. The new total cost for the construction comes to over $1.9 million.

Additionally, Andrews said that a required site development plan would amount to just over $980,000. This plan includes installing its utilities, plumbing and fire sprinkler connections and site excavation and backfill. Altogether, the project now looks to cost $2.96 million rather than the $2.53 million originally projected.

Ridgeway admitted that he underestimated the additional amount of work needed beyond purchasing the facility.

“This is much more in-depth than I anticipated and so this is a difference that I own on that,” he said.

Board President Tiffiney Upchurch appreciated the detailed plan, calling it good due diligence to ensure safety and quality and to avoid another scenario like their Grace Best Education Center, which is slated for demolition after the Monument Fire Department found it to have reached the end of its service life.

Board secretary Patti Shank expressed concerns with the increased costs to the district for such a small amount of its student population.

“Spending two-and-a-half million dollars was a stretch for me. And it’s gone up since then … I don’t want to vote no [on this proposal], but I’m concerned,” she said. “This is a lot of money and the one thing we don’t have is a lot of money.”

Board Director Todd Brown responded that he shared her nerves about the project going forward but added that they’ve have already exhausted all other options and that they couldn’t put it off any longer.

“Having gone through all the alternatives and knowing that Grace Best is getting worse and worse as a safe place to be, personally, I’m not aware of any other options that are gonna cost any less,” he said.

The board ultimately voted to approve the new proposal unanimously. An anticipated timeline has the new facilities being completed by Dec. 19.