The board’s building and grounds committee has identified several high priority needs that were part of the last bond issue election in 2008. The school board as a whole continues to discuss the school facility needs of the district at special and regular meetings. All the buildings have exceeded their enrollment capacity and issues continue to exist.
The high priority needs that are under discussion include the following:
1) Improve security at the main entrance of the elementary building; cabinetry to finish four existing classrooms; and repurpose the multi-purpose rooms to classrooms. Estimated cost is $99,700.
2)Add two additional music rooms to be shared by middle school and high school. Estimated cost is $1,062,000.
3)Add two additional science rooms at the high school. Estimated cost is $818,000.
4)Add 50 parking spaces at the middle school/high school. Estimated cost is $100,000.
The total cost of these needs is approximately $2,075,000. The yearly tax impact on a residential homestead property would be about $15.00 per $100,000 of taxable value and $22.000 per $100,000 on commercial property.
The board is sensitive to the economic climate as well as the needs of students. Discussion will continue regarding the needs and the viability of placing this on the ballot in November 2010.
Post your comments, questions or suggestions here.
4 comments:
Say, How about the kids ride the bus ? or raise parking fees, rather than ask for more spaces to park. How about no tax increase until the economy is on track? How about you pay for your own pension fund shortfall, JUST LIKE MINE HAS TO!
Hey Sweet, I agree with this last comment and am also wondering why you are wasting money on lawncare(about 5,000) when there is much more important things to use our taxpayer money on? Thanks for caring about the local people that have made this town what it is today, which you had nothing to do with.
My job is to be sure the District's focus statement, "Educational Excellence is our Foremost Goal," is carried out in all that we do, lawncare being no exception. Previous providers of this service have not met that standard. We have received many positive comments about the care of the lawn with 4.0 Services from board members, community members and staff. The school is the main attraction for people locating to Delano. We receive a number of visitors during the spring and summer looking at our school and Delano as a place to relocate. The appearance of the grounds is important to the school, the city and school district in this respect as the economy of Delano has been largely dependent on new home construction. (The city is dependent on building permits to service the debt on utilities infrastructure. Taxes and sewer rates are increasing due to a lower number of building permits being issued.) The lowest price is not always in the best interest of the taxpayers of the school district.
I have never made any claim to having anything to do with what Delano is today.
Thanks for your comment.
John Sweet
I just read the recent blog about the security issue today. What type of emergency was put into place? Do you follow a CODE RED, YELLOW, or GREEN protocal when a emergency happens? I have talked with several students tonight and not of the them told me that there was announcement made to the entire school about being on lock down. Why did the students stay at the school? Why were they not moved out of the school to safe spot until the building was cleared?
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