PHS Industrial Tech-Wrestling Room Floorplan
The approved floorplan for the Perry High School Industrial Tech and Wrestling Room project

The Perry School District has been working for several months on plans for a new industrial technology facility and wrestling room at the high school. The project is now much closer to becoming a reality, after the School Board approved a floorplan estimated to cost around $5.8 million.

Superintendent Clark Wicks says the construction management firm UNESCO has been working closely with the District and the public to develop several choices for the design. “We’ve had a community gathering to meet with the group of people from UNESCO to look at options for industrial tech and wrestling. They brought back about eight different options. We tried to whittle those down to about three or four, and then the Board had a chance to look at two. It’s really pleasing to see that we’re going to start moving forward on this project of improving wrestling and industrial tech.”

The Board considered the two versions of the floorplan Thursday morning, ultimately approving the less expensive of the two designs. In the floorplan, a new wrestling room will be built on the north side of the school, while the industrial technology facility will be expanded and remodeled where it’s currently located. The estimated cost is $5,710,599, though the bond referendum amount will be for $6.5 million. The extra money will serve as contingency funds to cover any added expenses during construction, and could also be used for equipment in the facilities.

With the plans now selected, the next step is the bond vote, and the District is currently collecting signatures to request a special election in February. The petition is due by January 19, 2019, and the election would be on February 5th. Wicks says there’s still a lot of work to do before that point, including educating the public on the necessity of the project.