The District 308 school board announced its plans to step up to the plate once again with a new renovation proposal Thursday night.
The meeting was open to the general public, but certain community leaders, such as Mayor Gary Manier, were specially invited.
School board members opened the meeting with comments on the overall process and how far they have come since last April’s decisive 67-33 percent defeat of the referendum.
“At the last community meeting, we heard a lot of thoughts and ideas. Two things really rang true. You guys said, ‘You get the information together, you make the decision.’ We also heard from Mr. Russell, who said, ‘Make my classroom better. Make it a place where I can learn, where I can do better.’ We really took that to heart,” board president Jim Gerkin said.
He said the current plans address almost all of the board’s top 10 priorities or “needs,” eliminating what he called “wants.”
Key components of the plan include a new secured entryway for visitors, new administrative offices, an enclosed, paved outdoor learning area, eight new classrooms in the existing commons area and a new cafeteria.
Superintendent Dr. Jim Dunnan said all nine science labs will be renovated. There is, however, a possibility the work will be done in two phases, with cabinets and countertops included in the health life safety asbestos abatement work.
The average annual tax increases, listed in the table above, are “worst-case scenarios” according to business manager Steve Zimmerman.
“Those would be worst-case scenarios because in a couple of years, the equalized assessed valuation will be higher and, therefore, rates will be lower, but they would be no more than that,” he said.
Despite his vote against the $18.4 million renovations in April, Manier said he will now support the measure in November.
However, he is concerned how the taxpayers will react to the new figure.
“I just worry about the $10 million sound of that from a taxpayer’s standpoint with the economy the way it is ... I hope that $10 million does not send the signal, ‘Wow, that’s a lot of money,’” Manier said.
Manier added that time is a factor with the failing building.
“The problem is, if it fails this time, with everything they haven’t been doing from a maintenance standpoint, then they’re way behind,” he said. “I think we have to get behind it and move forward.”
The board will vote Monday night to schedule the referendum in November.
