Web posted
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Drive set for school bonds
By DAVID ALLEN SEATON and SYDNEY BLAND
Traveler Staff Writers
A citizens' committee pushing a $35.8 million school bond has set dates for seven informational meetings before the mail-in vote beginning in mid-February.
Ballots must be returned by noon March 4, when the votes will be counted.
The following meetings have been set and are open to the public:
* 7 p.m. Jan. 28, Senior Citizens Center
* 7 p.m. Jan. 30, Presbyterian Manor
* 6:30 p.m. Jan. 31, IXL PTO Meeting
* 6 p.m. Feb. 5, Head Start
* 10 a.m. Feb. 7, Brick's Restaurant -- Ambassador's Coffee
* 6:30 p.m. Feb. 7, C-4 PTO Meeting
* 7 p.m. Feb. 13, Wright Room of the Brown Center at Cowley College
Committee members studied the needs of district facilities starting in 2006 and won unanimous school board approval last year.
These presentations are -- and have been -- open to clubs, civic organizations and anyone interested in finding out more about the proposal. Informational brochures will be available at each meeting.
The following question will be asked of the people of Ark City: Shall USD 470 issue $35,836,790 in general obligation bonds to provide funding for USD 470 projects.
The bond payment period would be 20 years. At least half of the total will be paid for by the state. The bond market is good right now, with 4.25 to 4.5 percent interest rates, said Ron Ballard, schools superintendent.
The district is paying about $900,000 a year for another eight-and-half years on a construction bond issue from 1996, school officials said.
The proposed bond issue would cost the owner of a $100,000 house about $70 in property taxes per year.
If approved, construction on the various projects would take about three years, Ballard said.
Those projects include expanding and renovating five elementary schools and completely rebuilding a sixth, IXL.
The middle school would be renovated, including new heating and air conditioning, new restrooms, and a new entrance.
The high school would see updated hearing and air conditioning, an expanded industrial tech building, a new main entry to the south, an expanded auditorium with restrooms, an expanded commons, a new enclosed walkway to the tech building, and music practice rooms.
A new sports complex for football, soccer, track and public use would be built west of the high school.
The elementary schools also desperately need new utilities, Ballard said.
The expansions will allow for more all-day kindergarten programs, which could become a state requirement soon if lawmakers mandate it, Ballard said.
Safety is a big part of the upgrades, he added, only the high school meets current federal standards for tornado protection.
Ballard said that the bond issue creates a plan and would be cheaper than updating and expanding the buildings piecemeal, which will have to happen anyway.
The school district and the committee are trying to educate voters, and to clear up any misinformation.
For more details on the improvements, see the district's presentation at the data center on: arkcity.net.
Call John Sturd at (620) 741-3005 to set up a presentation.
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