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Sep 23, 2023

Broadway Elementary School improvement project gets underway

An architectural rendering developed by the DLR Group shows the new addition to be constructed at Broadway Elementary School in Denison. The addition will be located on the south side of the existing

An architectural rendering developed by the DLR Group shows the new addition to be constructed at Broadway Elementary School in Denison. The addition will be located on the south side of the existing school and is projected to be completed in August 2025.

An extensive improvement project planned for Broadway Elementary School in Denison is now underway as Kingery Construction Company has started to mobilize its forces.

Denison Community Schools Superintendent Mike Pardun said the project features the construction of a multi-story addition to the existing school. Pardun said the project is projected to be completed in August of 2025.

A detailed facilities study was completed approximately three years ago for the entire school district. Based on the results of that study, Pardun said the Denison Board of Education zeroed in on the Broadway Elementary School project over the last two years.

“In the summer of 2022, we really started to study the Broadway project and it became a priority area for us. We saw this project as a way to solve some of our challenges,” Pardun said.

Currently, fourth and fifth grade students are served at Broadway Elementary School. Meanwhile, Denison Elementary School serves students in prekindergarten through third grade.

However, once the Broadway Elementary School addition is completed, Pardun said the district plans to shift the third grade students to Broadway Elementary School. As a result, Pardun said Denison Elementary School will be able to eliminate the use of a portable classroom to hold its preschool classes.

“For about 19 years we have used a portable building for our preschool classes,” Pardun said. “By moving the third graders to Broadway Elementary School, we will be able to bring those preschoolers inside the main building at Denison Elementary School and balance the enrollment in both our elementary buildings a little better.”

The DLR Group of Des Moines has been hired to serve as the architects for the school improvement project. Kingery Construction Company was then selected this summer to serve as the contractor for the project.

Pardun said the total cost of the improvement projects is approximately $19.9 million with $17.6 million of that cost being construction related. In order to finance the project, Denison Community Schools will use school infrastructure, sales, services and use tax revenue bonds.

“This is not being funded by property taxes. It will be funded through our sales tax revenue,” Pardun said.

The new addition at Broadway Elementary School will include a new commons, gymnasium, support spaces and classrooms. Additional renovations to be completed as part of the project include the demolition of the existing gym building and portable classroom.

Pardun said the existing gymnasium building was constructed in the 1920s. It is currently being used to house art and music classes as well as the Talented And Gifted program. A new gym will be included in the addition along with room for the classes previously held in the gym building.

“The Broadway gym building will be taken down and the area will become a new service drive and parking lot for the school building,” Pardun said.

Along with the new parking, other improvements to the Broadway Elementary School site will include the installation of a car loop, bus lane, sidewalks and playground. In all, the project will provide approximately 33,300 square feet of new construction and 9,600 feet of renovated space.

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