Web posted
Saturday, March 8, 2008
What's next for school bond fund?
After winning vote, project manager may be hired
By FOSS FARRAR
Traveler Staff Writer
reporter@arkcity.net
Now that a $35.8 million school bond issue has been passed by voters in the local school district it's time for the local school district to "roll up our sleeves and get to work," the district's top administrator said.
One immediate issue that is on the agenda for Monday's school board meeting is looking for a construction manager to oversee the larger projects that the bonds will help fund, said Ron Ballard, USD 470 superintendent.
Another priority is to keep an eye on the bond market to determine the best time for selling bonds, he said.
Official vote tallies completed Friday confirmed that the bond issue passed. A total of 4,090 mail-in ballots were counted including 2,187 "yes" votes and 1,903 "no" votes.
On Friday, 223 provisional ballots were canvassed. A little less than half were discounted because they were not signed. Among the remainder only 36 were accepted as valid -- 21 "yes" ballots and 15 "no" ballots, said Cowley County Clerk and Election Officer Karen Brooks.
"We in education are deeply indebted to the public for their support," Ballard said Wednesday. "Now we need to roll up sleeves and get to work."
Ballard said the construction manager issue would be an action item at the school board meeting at 7 p.m. Monday at the USD 470 Central Office, 2445 Greenway.
District administrators will suggest that the board direct the administration to seek proposals on construction management provisions.
"A $36 million bond project is big enough we probably ought to consider a construction manager," Ballard said. "We've built some funds in to consider that."
If hired, a construction manager would focus on four big projects in the bond issue: the district sports complex next to Arkansas City High School, the Ark City High School renovation, Ark City Middle School renovation, and IXL Elementary and Adams Elementary renovations.
Smaller additions and renovations planned for C-4, Jefferson, and Frances Willard Elementary Schools could either be assigned to school personnel or those projects could be lumped together into a single oversight contract, according to agenda notes for Monday's meeting.
Ballard said he would meet with the district's bond counsel, Piper Jaffray, on the best time for selling bonds.
"We've set up a meeting for next week to discuss the bond market," he said.
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