Press

Local school administrators say they are excited about the building proposal set to go before voters on August 25. The plan responds to the district’s 1936 elementary building reaching the end of its useful life and positions Savanna to open the first 3D printed concrete school in the United States.

Superintendent Adam Newman has led the review of options and expresses strong confidence in the new design developed with architects at Lee Simon Design.

“This one will give us more space, classrooms, offices and bathrooms, and comes in at less money,” Newman said. “It’s been a long time coming and way overdue to make our community and patrons more comfortable and safe.”

The revised proposal delivers 11 classrooms (nine regular classrooms plus two dedicated special-education rooms), a secure main entry, modern restrooms, and air conditioning for the school gymnasium for the first time. It also includes a storm shelter accessible to students during school hours and to the broader community after hours.

“The designs include storm shelters that will be accessible to students and the public during school hours as well as to the community after-hours,” Newman said. “We’ve been working with the Police Department on having officers authorized to open the school after hours in the event of a tornado or inclement weather.”

According to Newman, the costs for the new building break down like this: a $5,450,000 Building Bonds which consists of $3,490,000 for construction costs and $1,960,000 interest for the life of the school bonds.

[Site annotation: financing composition; interest rate TBD — not published.]

Brady Deaton of Lee Simon Design noted that the updated schematic achieves more rooms, better flow, and stronger overall performance than the earlier proposal — while still reducing cost. The design takes advantage of advances in 3D concrete robotic printing, an approach the industry is using to deliver buildings faster, with less waste, greater resilience, and lower long-term operating costs.

“What we were able to achieve is more classrooms, a true secure entry, and a storm-shelter zone that serves both the school and the wider community — all while coming in under the previous proposal’s cost,” Deaton said.

School Board Member Lee Skinner said the earlier vote, while unsuccessful, made the condition of the existing elementary building clear to everyone. “We’ve already opened everyone’s eyes as to how bad a shape the elementary school is in, so now we are saying ‘here’s another option,’” Skinner said.

Plans also call for incorporating stone from the original 1936 building into the new façade.

“We even have plans to incorporate some of the stone from the original building as part of the new façade,” Newman said. “So we have an eye on where we’ve come from as well as where we are going. We are very excited about this new proposal.”

When the new elementary opens, Savanna’s youngest students will walk into modern classrooms, the community will have a real storm shelter, and the district will hold the distinction of opening the nation’s first 3D-printed concrete school — delivered with greater efficiency and long-term value.

That future is on the ballot August 25! Voters must be registered to vote by July 31st, registration can be done at the Pittsburgh county election center, 1609 N Strong Blvd Ste 200, McAlester, OK 74501.