LEOTI -- Leoti residents at a Tuesday meeting said they were pleased with the proposed building plan to replace R.B. Stewart Elementary School with a new school of five interconnected circular buildings with steel-reinforced concrete domes.

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This illustration shows the design of a proposed $5.5 million monolithic dome school that would replace LeotiÕs deteriorating R.B. Stewart Elementary School. The building, to attach to the north side of Wichita County Junior High School, would consist of five half-sphere structures. It would be paid for primarily by a $5 million bond issue on Wichita County's Feb. 5, 2008, ballot.

At the USD 467 Board of Education's meeting at Wichita County High School, architect Lee Gray, of Salt Lake City, gave Leoti residents a chance to voice their concerns about replacing the elementary school building with a complex that would be located north of Wichita County Junior High School.

Residents said they liked the design of the building, the energy savings and the lower price tag.

The school currently has extensive termite damage and a room deemed unfit to use. The electric, heating and cooling systems are outdated. Some sections of the school were built in 1924 and 1935.

Wichita County residents voted down an $8 million bond issue and an additional $1,216,000 in bonds for a second gym in April. The board redesigned the plan to cut costs and approved a bond issue of $5 million, which Wichita County residents will vote on Feb. 5.

If approved, a Wichita County resident with a $50,000 home would pay an additional $5.27 a month or $63.27 a year in property taxes. Residents with $80,000 homes would pay an additional $8.43 a month or $101.20 a year, according to Gray of LPDJ Architects, LLC of Salt Lake City.

Gray said if the bond issue passes in February, construction would begin 90 to 120 days after the vote. Gray projected it would take nine to 12 months to complete the building.

"It varies from weather. It's hard to predict at this point," he said.

Leoti's Cayle Hahn said he didn't have any children in school and came to the meeting because he is a concerned taxpayer. He said he was pleased with the design and liked the idea of energy savings.

"It's less money for the same project basically," Hahn said.

Bob Everest, a minister at Christ Covenant Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Leoti, has three children attending R.B. Stewart Elementary School. He said it's time for a new building because of the school's deterioration.

"It's a great idea because it reduces the cost for the community and provides good quality for the community," Everest said.

Gray said he has helped design 13,000 buildings in 40 years, and thought taking on a project in a small town would be fun.

LPDJ Architects, LLC designs monolithic dome projects worldwide. Gray said the company mostly designs performing arts centers.

He said the proposed building would have a cost-effective construction system, be safe from fire, earthquake and storms, and have lower operating and staff and maintenance costs.

Gray said the estimated cost to repair the current elementary building would be $6.5 million, and that after remodeling and upgrades it still would be vulnerable to storm and fire damage.

"It's going to cost more to repair the building than replace it," he said.