The Perry School Board approved Monday the plans for a $1.6 million renovation of the food service area in the Perry Elementary School.
The board’s actions happen to coincide with the 2022 National School Lunch Week, observed Oct. 10-14.
The remodeling — the first since the elementary school was built in 1991 — will include extensive interior renovations, including a larger area for food preparation and storage and an enclosed serving area that is separate from the dining room or commons.
The coolers and freezers would be relocated within the school building, saving the kitchen staff from going outdoors to retrieve items from a building that is remote from the food-service area.
Chris Behrens, architect with Humboldt-based Sande Design Inc., presented the basic design plans to the board at Monday’s meeting. For several months, Behrens has worked closely on the renovation plans with PCSD Nutrition Director Meladee Steele and PCSD Director of Buildings and Grounds Matt Hix.
“I’ve never been through anything quite like this,” Steele said, “but Chris has been here like every other week, going through page-by-page plans, so we kind of went through all of that stuff already. I’m hoping we don’t have a lot of change orders, but I feel like we’ve done a lot of that stuff already.”
Hix agreed the planning on the project has been thorough.
“This is the first facelift that building’s had in 31 years,” Hix said. “This is our time to get it right. Meladee and I and Chris went over every detail of this plan several times. As a building director, I’m looking for a project with zero change orders because I know change orders add cost. I personally feel like we should have virtually none or less than a handful.”
PCSD Superintendent Clark Wicks praised the planning committee’s efforts and commended Behrens’ attention to detail.
“They have done yeoman’s work on this,” Wicks said.
PCSD School Board President Linda Andorf said more closely integrating the now-remote appliances into the kitchen area will be a benefit.
“Eliminating having to go outside to the cooler and to the freezer will be a huge welcome,” Andorf said. The improvements will also eliminate the little trail of dribbled milk that has become a standing feature near the dumpsters on the school’s eastside entrance.
“About two voicemails I get a year with that trail of milk,” said Perry Elementary School Principal Dr. Ryan Marzen. “When it freezes over and smells kind of funky is the first one, and the second one is when it’s really extremely warm because it has just a warm stench.”
Steele said virtually all the current kitchen equipment will be retained, including the conventional and convection ovens, warmers, refrigerators, freezers and dishwasher.
Behrens said the $1.6 million cost estimate includes a 10% cost contingency and an inflation contingency of $100,000.
“We’ve hedged as much as we can without being too prudent,” Behrens said. “I think it’s warranted. It’s kind of crazy times for construction costs, but I think it is well worth the cost.”
The project will be paid for with sales tax revenues through the state’s Secure an Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE) fund, which is earmarked for school infrastructure financing.
