Leggett High School study due mid-August; district weighing renovate-as-new to preserve community spaces

The district expects a mid-August report on Leggett High School that will detail repair, upgrade and replacement costs and provide options for next steps, the superintendent said.

"We'll be getting that study, hopefully, mid-month, mid August, which will give our community a chance to look at what is it," the superintendent said, adding the study will include work to bring the building up to current safety expectations and to assess program-space needs. Officials said they are particularly concerned about preserving large community-use spaces such as the auditorium, gym and cafeteria if the district chooses new construction because current reimbursement rules favor renovate-as-new in some circumstances.

Board and council members described tradeoffs: new construction can trigger different state space standards that reduce the reimbursable share for community facilities, while renovate-as-new may allow the district to keep larger community spaces but could carry different cost profiles. Participants emphasized public review of the study before any formal decision and said a joint meeting to discuss the findings would likely follow.