Futurus High School principal James Bowers stands in the school's lobby Tuesday in Centralia.
The Centralia City Council will consider amending a lease agreement with the Centralia School District on Tuesday that would expand the square footage of Futurus High School by more than 36 percent and grant the school district credit for some of the costs to improve the new space in the form of reduced rent for a five-year period.
Approval of the new lease agreement would increase the footprint of Futurus High School, which has been located in a city park maintenance building adjacent to Borst Park since its inception in 2014, to 4,746 square feet. School enrollment hovers around 70 students each year who seek or require an alternative to Centralia High School.
The goal is to have more space for multiple reasons,” said Ed Petersen, public relations and communications coordinator for the Centralia School District. “More programs would maybe draw in more students.”
Based on the current lease agreement for 3,479 square feet at $2,000 per month, base rent for the space would increase to $2,729 monthly, according to the agenda packet for the council meeting at 7 p.m. inside City Hall. The agenda packet also states that CSD representatives believe the space needs improvements are worth about $100,000 such as fire sprinklers, a new firewall and other areas of infrastructure. The district has asked to receive $64,000 in credit on its rental bill because the needed work would benefit property owned by the city.
Thus, the district has asked to pay $1,662.23 in base rent for five years, after which it would begin paying the normal rate of $2,729. The cost for utilities at Futurus High School would increase from $150 to $205 per month at the outset, though that number could rise if the city council approves utility rate increases.
Petersen said the hope is that if the city and school district can reach an agreement in short order, the additional space would be available for students beginning this fall.
