USD 335 board looking at bond issue for expansion

The Jackson Heights school board is planning to present a bond issue proposal to district voters at the November general election totaling about $5 million that would keep the district’s overall tax levy about the same, thereby achieving the goal of adding much-needed classroom space without raising local taxes very much, if any, it was reported.

At Monday night’s board meeting held at the high school, board members met with Civium Architects of Topeka to discuss plans to add six middle school classrooms and two elementary school classrooms plus a music room and covered walkway connection.

Originally, the school board had considered building one new addition with an enclosed corridor and new library to connect the elementary school to the middle school, at the south side of the buildings, with a price tag that totaled about $6.8 million. That new addition would have added seven classrooms, one art room and one music room.

Now several months later, after much studying and planning, the board has pared down its proposed plans, and its proposed budget for the project, and is considering a smaller project that would include two new smaller additions - one a middle school pod area with six classrooms for grades six, seven and eight and - another one with a new music room and two new elementary classrooms.

The estimated price tag for the new building project would range from $4.7 million to $5.3 million, including architect’s fees, totaling 7 percent, and a 10 percent contingency fee.

Details of what a $5 million bond issue might look like cost-wise over a 20-year or 25-year amortization schedule in the Jackson Heights district will be discussed at the board’s next meeting in August, it was reported. The state will also provide some funding assistance for a new building project, it was noted.

A new computer accounting program in the district was credited with providing board members Monday night with a good financial snapshot of the district’s finances.

Some board members said the financial report was so good and detailed that it enabled the board to have its “best budget discussion in 25 years’’ at the meeting.

Jim Howard, superintendent, said the district would need to inform the county clerk/election officer by Sept. 2 whether the district would like to place a bond issue question on the general election ballot.

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