Mitchell school board awards bid for fine arts center

MITCHELL, S.D. (AP) - The school board in Mitchell has awarded the construction bid for a fine arts center, despite the project being over budget.

The project will cost about $14.6 million. The amount is well over the initial estimate of $11.8 million, but the school has worked with architects on cost-saving measures, increased borrowing and raised more than half a million dollars in donations.

Superintendent Joe Graves told The Daily Republic newspaper (https://bit.ly/1IZF54B ) that finally getting the project approved is “a very good feeling.” High school vocal director and show choir director Chris Miller said the facility is needed.

“Our problem is space, space, space,” he said. “We just don’t have the room for the stuff to put on the level of productions that we’re doing.”

Not everyone agrees with the project. Steve Sibson, who is running for a spot on the school board, said he supports fine arts but thinks the project is moving too fast.

“The people I’ve been talking to are saying it’s too much,” he said. “This particular project is a nice one, but not a needed one.”

The proposed 65,000-square-foot center will be on the southwest corner of the Mitchell Career and Technical Education Academy. It will seat 1,240 people in its main theater and have a smaller theater, classrooms and space for rehearsals and storage.

“It will be one of the best in the state,” high school band director Ryan Stahle said.

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Information from: The Daily Republic, https://www.mitchellrepublic.com