LOLO — A school bond project over a decade in the making could finally see some physical progress in the coming months.
After passing its $22.1 million bond in September of 2020, the Lolo School Board received the “go-ahead” from the community to move its entire school to Farm Lane. The bond also authorized the sale of the current property -- and that’s the latest development with this project.
The school has received several offers in writing, and they are currently under contract with one of the buyers. Superintendent Dale Olinger says they could close on the deal as early as January as long as the transaction moves along without any delays.
While the current, multi-building, multi-level property may not be fit for a school, Olinger says the current buyer has interest in using the space for commercial purposes, with the potential of transforming part of it into residential use.
Additionally, the ground could be broken on the new school sooner than you think.
"As far as the new build goes, we will be breaking ground as soon as the ground thaws this coming spring of 2022, so March or April, probably. And we're looking at roughly a 16 month build time, so by fall of 2023 move in day. In August we'll be starting school at the new property. That's the ideal timeline and we're putting as much planning in place to see that through as we possibly can, knowing that supply chain and demand and labor shortages and everything are trying really hard to derail us, but we're, we're doing everything we can to stay on that timeline.” - Lolo School Superintendent Dale Olinger
