Schools committee recommends Phase II bond

The special 29-member committee formed to recommend options for school district reconfiguration has unanimously recommended to the district's board of trustees that the district proceed with a bond issue to complete Phase II of the junior high and turn it into a high school.

The committee looked at five different options presented by the school district to make the best use of buildings and staff in light of renewed growth, and added an additional sixth option during its discussion, but in the end decided the best long-term solution for the district was to finish the high school project.

Ten years ago the building currently housing the junior high had been built following a $12 million bond issue by the voters, with the clear intention -- and expectation -- at that time that a second bond, Phase II, would be sought to expand the building to create a high school. At the time, the district had been enjoying rapid growth and anticipated that numbers of students would reach a point that in only two or three additional years it would seek the second bond to finish the building and convert it to the high school.

But then growth suddenly stopped, and even declined over the next few years, putting the Phase II project on hold. This year the district finally started to see student numbers rise again, and with the massive housing boom the area is undergoing, is projecting significant growth in student numbers, allowing it to finally justify seeking the Phase II bond.

Phase II would basically involve adding an additional two-story classroom wing and building a "competition gym" required by the state for high schools. The building would serve grades 9-12, resulting in the remaining junior high students moving to the existing high school.

If the school board accepts the recommendation, as it is expected to, the district anticipates a $25 million bond would be needed.

Two members of the committee, Sid Wing and Crystal Moore, will present the committee's recommendation to the board at its next meeting on Feb. 20. The board is then expected to give the green light for the project, with a vote on the bond issue anticipated to occur some time in early fall.

Supt. Tim McMurtrey said the committee was aware of some of the problems facing the district in attempting to get voter approval for a bond issue.

"I think the big one is, 'they lied to us'," when the first bond issue was passed, he said.

Although the district had consistently said at the time that the building would initially be used to house the junior high, and then expanded to a high school with a subsequent bond, some voters left the polls with the perception that the building would immediately become a high school.

"That was never the plan, and we were clear about it at the time," McMurtrey said, but the lengthy delay in seeking the Phase II bond left some voters feeling betrayed, he admitted. At the same time, he said, despite the original plan, when student numbers fell the district simply couldn't justify proceeding with Phase II.

Due to rapid growth in the mid-1990s, the district was in the unique position of being able to build the current junior high with a bond issue that actually resulted in slightly lower taxes to district patrons, and felt getting the project started before costs rose was in the best interests of the district, at the time, McMurtrey noted.

Since then, construction costs have skyrocketed, and although the Phase II project actually involves less square footage than the existing building, the cost will be double the original bond price. "And those costs aren't going down," McMurtrey said. "The committee felt that now was the time to proceed (with Phase II), and to go with a plan that addresses long-term growth, not just the short-term need."

The committee, representing a broad spectrum of the community, stressed that the trust issue needs to be addressed and that all aspects of the bond project, including design, purpose, exact tax increase to patrons, and how the district plans to meet the needs of future enrollment increases, needs to be publicized on a regular basis to ensure patrons totally comprehend the bond project. The public, the committee insisted, needs to be fully informed concerning every aspect of the bond at every point in the process.

McMurtrey said the committee also was clear that it didn't want the district to wind up in the position of the Meridian School District, where every new building is immediately filled to capacity and the district has to ask the voters for another building bond right away.

The committee also was concerned about competition from other bond attempts this year (the hospital is expected to try again this spring to pass its $17 million expansion project, which failed last summer), and that the community may be getting tired of facing a series of bonds, such as the jail bond, library bond and plant facility levy.

The committee also said that based on feedback its members had received from the public there was a clear belief that the expanded building should include an auditorium of some kind that could be used for community events.

McMurtrey said the district would have to look at the various options available, from having a separate facility to building a multi-purpose gym that would include an auditorium setting.

A lot still remains to be worked out, McMurtrey said. "We're going to be listening a lot to what our patrons say as we begin the design work," he said.

Assuming the board gives the green light as it is expected to do, the district then will have to hire an architect to put together the final design, "although we already have a good rough plan" from the Phase I project, McMurtrey noted, which should hold costs down somewhat.

"We need to see what we can actually fit" in a $25 million bond, "and we're going to have to prioritize our needs."

He said the committee believed that priority should be on classrooms first, the auditorium second, and a professional/technical building expansion third.

Besides the classrooms and gym/auditorium, the project would include sidewalks around the school, an expanded parking lot, and other peripheral work.

McMurtrey noted that the committee "seriously considered and debated each option, but in the end felt this was the best plan" to meet the district's long-term needs.

"I feel the committee did a great job. They really looked into it, not just what McMurtrey wanted, but what the district needed."

He said he hoped the committee members would continue to help promote the bond for the district, and explain it to the public.

"We want to do it right. This is a big, major deal for this community, that will impact us for a long time."