The potential purchase of a 70-foot strip of land by the Helena School District would provide access to Four Georgians Elementary off McHugh Avenue.

The Helena School District Board of Trustees discussed spending $82,358 of the building reserve fund on the property at its regular meeting Tuesday.

John Carter, director of support services, said Four Georgians, the district's newest and largest elementary school, is challenged by a lot that is currently landlocked.

The school sits off Custer Avenue between Bill Roberts Golf Course and McHugh Drive. In January, the district purchased the commercial property located at 603 Custer Ave., formerly Playtime Video, directly east of the school, with the intent of relocating and expanding the parking and loading zones on the campus.

McHugh Trailer Park recently donated a 50-foot right-of-way to the city, providing access from McHugh.

In order to fully utilize the property by creating an entrance and an exit to Four Georgians, a wider piece of land is needed. The standard for such an entry is at least 60 feet wide, Carter said.

Scott McHugh, owner of the commercial property at 605 Custer Ave. has agreed to sell the district a 70-foot right-of-way for the appraised value of $102,693.

In exchange, the district would trade its part ownership of the entrance to the commercial site off Custer Avenue, bringing the price down to $82,358.

Between 160 to 180 cars in the morning and afternoons come and go from the school site each day, Carter said.

The intent is to provide access to the school off McHugh Avenue instead of relying solely on Custer Avenue access, Carter said.

The conceptual redesign of the parking lot and playground, with a price tag between $670,000 and $800,000, would change the main entrance from the north side of the building to the east, creating better visibility from the main office, he told the board.

"Sometimes what's safer isn't always convenient," Carter said.

The redesign would nearly double the amount of parking and allow the district to create more green space for students.

Carter said it still won't meet the education standards, which say for a facility of the school's size should be 10 acres, but it will get the district closer at just under nine acres.

The plan, however, has not been presented to the City of Helena, the Montana Department of Transportation or the Helena Fire Department, he said.

"It will change, folks," Carter said. "It will get tweaked."

Trustees will take public comment and likely vote on the land purchase at next month's board meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 11 at the Front Street Learning Center.

If the plan is approved, the board could take ownership in December, with engineering work beginning as early as next year sometime.

Reporter Alana Listoe: 447-4081 or alana.listoe@helenair.com