HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson USD 308 School Board voted Monday night to proceed with improvements at Faris Elementary School.

At the Nov. 12 meeting, the board toured Faris Elementary to see the needs of additional space for classrooms and offices. Since 2015-16, the total number of students at Faris with individual education plans has jumped 35 percent to 99 percent in the 2017-18 school year. As a result, there are more special education teachers in the building, and more students that are needing assistance from social workers and counselors.

During that November meeting, the board directed staff to see what moving the gymnasium and cafeteria to the northeast corner of the existing school and dividing and re-purposing the current gym area as a classroom would cost. The school’s staff found that the enhanced plan, which was approved Monday, would cost about $2.6 million, or about $1 million more than an earlier proposed plan.

The board opted for the more expensive plan as a way to future-proof the facility.

The approved plan will move the gymnasium, cafeteria and kitchen to the northeast corner of the school and will renovate the existing gym into a classroom and other student spaces.

The existing cafeteria/kitchen was designed for a building with fewer students. When the building went from a 1.5 section-per-grade facility to a two-section facility with the 2006 bond issue, the cafeteria was not enlarged.

Capital improvement funds designated for the building’s improvements will pay for the Faris addition.

Monday night’s session was another neighborhood meeting for the board, this time at Morgan Elementary School, 100 W. 27th.