School Rebuild Survey 2
DEAR PATRONS OF USD 105,
The USD 105 Board of Education would like to update you on the progress we’ve made on the building project, and we would like your input again via this second community survey. A lot has transpired since the last survey was completed in January; here is what we have learned:
1. The County is close to being approved for a County election for a 1 cent sales tax increase to provide funding for this project. This past Sunday it was approved by the Kansas House and Senate, and is awaiting the Governor’s signature for final approval. The sales tax vote would be on the ballot for the primary election on August 6, 2024. If this sales tax is approved by voters, it will reduce the property tax increase by about 8 mills. This 8 mill reduction has been included in the estimated property tax increase numbers. Adam Smith, our Kansas Senate Representative, has been a big help with this process.
2. In February, the District applied for a grant for funding from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, but we did not receive the funding. We intend to reapply in the future with a focus on funding specific areas of the project, for a lesser amount. At this point, we cannot count on funding from the Foundation.
3. FEMA has responded that they currently do not have any funding available.
BUILDING UPDATE
We will begin the demolition of the building in the next 4-8 weeks. McCownGordon, our Construction Manager currently has the drawings out for bids. Also, the County landfill is full and must be expanded; we expect it to be ready in 4-8 weeks.
This summer, we will begin the renovation of the existing Gym and south addition. We can begin the Gym and Locker Room renovation as soon as the building area that will be demolished is separated from the building area that will remain. There will be minimal work in the Gym, but the Locker Rooms will have all new finishes, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical work. The HVAC equipment has a long lead time for delivery, so this work may not be complete until basketball season. However, the intent is to have the Gym available for use when school begins in August. The south addition, which includes the Commons area, Restrooms, and Band Room will also be available when school starts in August; the only work planned for that area is to rework the fire alarm system. The HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems were already separate from the rest of the building so these areas were not affected by the fire.
NEXT STEPS
Over the past couple of months, we’ve narrowed down our funding options and updated the project cost estimates. We now would like additional feedback from you to ensure our plans align with what the community will support. We understand the impact this bond will have on our community financially, our long-term quality of life, and how it will impact the education of our children. We understand these are big decisions for us all, and now is the time for us to move forward in a united approach to rebuild our schools.
The results of the first survey were clear; a K-12 building is preferred, even if it costs a little more. There was also large support for the use of a sales tax increase to offset property tax costs. Many people commented that we should, “take the time to do this right.” While we all agree on the importance of getting this right, there is an urgency to get this project under construction. Currently, we are leasing the portable classrooms as the district was not given the option to purchase. Our insurance will only pay for the portables through August 2025. After that, it will cost the school district $17,000 per month plus utilities.
We appreciate all the responses we received from the initial survey. We had a 35% response rate, which is very good. Professional survey companies consider a 20-30% response rate as good. Survey results showed that 73% of responses supported a K-12 building.
SITE PLAN
Several questions were previously asked regarding site access, parking, playgrounds, etc. We have studied several options, including demolishing the VoAg building to create better parking, but that option has proven too costly. The site plan we are moving forward with has the main entrance to the school on the north side of the building. There are 112 parking spaces available, and the bus drop-off will be in front of the school on 8th Street. If Option 2 (K-12 building) is selected, a playground will be built on the east side of the new Elementary School. It is similar in size to the playground area on the northwest corner of the existing Elementary School. Also, there will be a drop-off area on 8th Street for the Elementary School.
Click here to take the survey online
Click here to download a PDF version of the survey to PRINT