The Indianola Community School District Task Force officially made its recommendation to the district earlier this week regarding Indianola High School improvements, selecting the “Replace in Place” option for upgrades.

“Replace in Place” will feature a new commons area that would be built to link the gym, auditorium and academic area, creating a new “heart” that the high school has previously lacked. There will also be a new two-story academic wing built to the west, along with an athletics and career-technical expansion to the north.

Superintendent Art Sathoff said in a statement:

“We would like to thank the members of our community task force for their outstanding work on examining our high school facility needs and developing a sound recommendation for the board’s review.Throughout this process, we have taken a community-driven approach to finding the best possible solution so that we can maintain the high-quality educational experience our community has come to expect from IHS.”

The estimated cost is approximately $94 to $100 million, and is expected to take approximately 5-6 years to complete. The task force also recommended placing a bond issue question on the ballot for September 13, 2022.

The Indianola School Board will discuss the task force’s recommendation at its May 10 meeting.