By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The Nov. 7 general election ballot may be a relatively light one across most of Kansas in a non-presidential election year. But an important issue will be decided for USD 395 and La Crosse residents. Bill Keeley, superintendent of La Crosse schools, said district residents will vote on a $10.975 million bond question, and residents within La Crosse city limits will also vote on a proposed one percent city sales tax to help fund the bond.
"The school board has whittled it down to a new elementary school with a gym," he said. "The gym is mandated for a PE classroom by the state, but it would also double as a secondary auxiliary gym for practices."
Four years ago, a facility committee was formed to discuss the needs of the district. Original numbers indicated $15-16 million dollars would address those needs. Then COVID-19 hit and that figure surged to more than $20 million. After a study of the district, financial consultants advised the board a bond needed to be more affordable, around $10-11 million, to feasibly pass a vote.
"They cut more than half of the facilities off the original scope of the project and got it down to just our two priority needs, which is a new elementary school," Keeley said. "Our old elementary school is coming up on 100 years old."
The new elementary school would be constructed on the north side of the existing middle and high school. The bond would also include a connection corridor from the technical buildings to the school, as well as renovations to increase safety at the school, including the addition of storm shelters.
"We'll have one campus for all students," said Keeley. "Right now, we bus our elementary students over to the high school cafeteria for lunch because we don't have a cafeteria at the elementary school. That's obviously not very efficient. We lose out on class time and it's costly because we have to pay for that service."
A second gym would alleviate crowded practice schedules that are not conducive to learning. The new elementary school would include a new playground and preschool classroom. Mostly, the new facility would give the district more space.
"We still have an elementary building that's 100 years old that's falling down, that's not ADA compliant," Keeley said. "We have reading groups meeting in the hallways, meeting in the stairwells, and people walking by during the reading intervention time because we're out of space."
The bond would be paid over 20 years. If approved, the school district would increase taxes 19.75 mills to pay for the project. If the one percent sales tax is also approved, that increase would drop to 15.74 mills. On a $100,000 home, that amounts to $18.93 in additional taxes each month without the one percent sales tax, and $15.08 a month with the additional sales tax.
The bond and sales tax question will be decided in the Nov. 7 general election. Early voting will begin Oct. 18 at the Rush County Courthouse.
CLICK HERE to read more information about the bond.