Web posted
Monday, July 30, 2007
Schools consider bond vote
By FOSS FARRAR
Traveler Staff Writer
The Arkansas City Board of Education will meet tonight to consider a multi-million bond issue to fund proposed school facilities improvements.
The special meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the USD 470 central office, 2445 Greenway.
Board members and school administrators said they expect revisions to a $32 million plan for district-wide facilities improvements. The original plan was unveiled in March.
"With revisions there are always changes in the amount," Assistant Superintendent J.K. Campbell said today. "To say there's an amount yet is not really accurate."
Board member Mike Walker said today he also expects changes in the plan.
"Naturally if the cost is lower, I'd be delighted," Walker said. "I don't know if that's the case."
The school board met in April to look at drawings of proposed facilities renovations and discuss the $32 million plan. A few members had heated exchanges on some details of the proposed plan.
They sent the architect, Kenton Cox, senior vice president of Schaefer Johnson Cox Frey Architecture, back to the drawing board to make revisions.
The original plan would include the building of a new football stadium west of Arkansas City High School and would expand slightly five of the six local elementary schools. For it to become a reality would require a bond election to request a tax increase.
One item that evoked discussion at the April meeting was a proposed expansion of Arkansas City High School's commons area including the cafeteria that would cost an estimated $560,000.
School administrators backed the plan, as did at least one board member. But others wanted Cox to "sell" them on the plan.
At last Monday's regular board meeting, Superintendent Ron Ballard suggested that the time to act on the plan is now.
"Time draws very close if we do anything this fall," USD 470 Superintendent Ron Ballard told the board. "I recommend that the board meet with the architect on the plans and final costs and decide whether or not to proceed."
Now is a good time to proceed, Ballard said after the meeting, because state aid for capital improvements has moved from 48 percent to 50 percent.
"Ten to 12 years ago state aid was 35 percent (for capital improvements)," he said. "That's almost a 15 percent increase."
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