Lindbergh School District officials are seeking residents’ comments about the proposed design of building improvements at Sappington Elementary School and Kennerly Elementary School.

The two projects — a partial building replacement at Sappington and a minor building addition at Kennerly — are being funded through Proposition R, which Lindbergh voters approved Nov. 7. Work at the two schools is scheduled to begin next summer. Construction will continue into the 2007-2008 school year and will not be completed until the start of school in 2008 at the earliest, according to Karl Guyer, executive director of planning and development.

Proposition R is described by Lindbergh administrators as a no-tax-rate-increase $32 million bond issue. The district’s debt-service tax rate will remain unchanged at 38 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, but it will be extended for a six-year period. The tax-rate extension from Proposition R will end in 2026, according to Chief Financial Officer Pat Lanane.

Besides the partial building replacement at Sappington and the minor building addition at Kennerly, Proposition R will fund a variety of projects in schools throughout the district, including new roofs, the replacement of rooftop HVAC units, classroom doors that lock from the inside for elementary schools, fire alarms and security cameras in most buildings.

During a Board of Education workshop last week, Todd Powers of William B. Ittner Architects presented preliminary design drawings depicting two different schemes for the partial building replacement at Sappington Elementary and the limited building addition at Kennerly Elementary.

Board of Education members will discuss the proposed designs during a special meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28, in the boardroom of the Administration Building, 4900 S. Lindbergh Blvd.

While the meeting is open to the public, the board will not hear residents’ comments. Comments can be submitted to the board before the meeting to either Superintendent Jim Sandfort or Guyer at the Lindbergh School District, 4900 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis 63126. Comments also can be submitted to Guyer by e-mail at kguyer@lindberghschools.ws.

The deadline for comments is the morning of Monday, Nov. 27.

For Sappington Elementary, the district plans to demolish and replace the part of the building that dates back 80 years, which has handicapped accessibility issues and air-quality concerns. Besides the partial building replacement, estimated at $8.55 million, other projects proposed for the school as part of the bond issue include interior locking safety doors, a fire alarm system, an intercom system, security surveillance, roof replacement and replacement of the cafeteria rooftop HVAC units.

At Sappington Elementary, the addition will be built, completed and occupied be-fore the existing 1928 and 1950 sections are removed. The Board of Education still is working through various details of the 1955 section.

The two options, Option SA-1 and Option SA-2, are organized the same. They both show a two-story scheme with floors that align to the existing building. Both options contain the following spaces:

• First floor — new main school entrance, lobby/gallery, main school office, nurse, guidance, stair and elevator to the upper floor and corridor connection the existing school wing.

• Second floor — library, new classroom wing, gymnasium, storage areas, access to the existing classroom wing and cafeteria, and access to the new playground area situated north of the new gym — recently acquired property added to the school campus.

Option SA-1 has a more traditional exterior design with architectural features reminiscent of some of the details of the original 1928 building. The interior has a grand stair case that incorporates a permanent exhibit area where artifacts of the 1928 building and other historical items can be displayed.

Option SA-2 exterior design is more contemporary and features a sweeping roof and glass entry extending the length of the lobby.

On the interior, different rooms and architectural elements provide unique juxtapositions that create a rich, dynamic space.

The cost of the minor building addition at Kennerly Elementary is estimated at $2.65 million and will be constructed adjacent to the existing two-story classroom wing.

The addition also will be two stories comprised of a center corridor with classrooms on either side. The addition will feature a total of four regular classrooms with an art room on the lower floor and music on the top floor. The addition will have two stairwells and additional restrooms to serve pupils. Access to the new area will be from the existing front glass corridor in front of the library. Storage rooms in the current building will be opened up to allow the new additional corridor to be connected to the existing building.

The interior layout remains the same for the two options — Option KE-1 and Option KE-2. The spatial configuration of the glass enclosure of the new corridor is the primary difference between the two op-tions. Because of the length of the corridor, part of the upper level has been extended out to allow for a small seating area.

Option KE-1 has a triangular wedge-shaped appearance with the upper floor overhanging the corridor below.

Option KE-2 features a curved glass area and slightly softer exterior design with columns supporting the floor above.

Residents can view the design options for the two schools by visiting the district’s Web site at www.lindberghschools.ws and clicking on the Prop R button.