Bashaw Elementary's new addition equals fewer portables

With the Manatee County School Board approving $14.7 million for major upgrade work at William H. Bashaw Elementary School on April 26, Principal Joshua Bennett had plenty of reasons to smile.

Construction crews will begin removing four of the nine portable units at Bashaw in the next two weeks and shipping them to other schools in the district. With a new addition that will house 10 classrooms, a cafeteria expansion and new heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, Bashaw will be up to date.

It is the first major renovation in the school’s 30-year history.

Bennett was a teacher who came to Bashaw 16 years ago, and he remembered his first year teaching in a portable. He has been heavily involved in working with the district on the renovation.

The remaining five portables will stay on campus until the new addition is built, and current classrooms and facilities are renovated sometime in 2017.

“It’s going to look like a new school,” Bennett said.

The $14.7 million figure was up $4 million from the original project budget in May 2015. That’s because the project originally did not include the addition or a new roof for the school building.

In other school board news, board member Dave Miner questioned the way school impact fees should be collected. Miner said the school district needs to collect the full amount of impact fees, as suggested in a study by its consultant.  

The school board previously had voted to keep the school impact tax fee at 50% of the suggested amount if the half-cent school sales tax is continued by voters. The sales tax expires at the end of 2017.

After discussion, the board denied Miner’s recommendation to change its previous pay schedule for the impact fees.