USD 257 voters head to polls Tuesday

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Local News

March 29, 2019 - 5:02 PM

A special election Tuesday will decide whether to build new facilities for USD 257 schools. Here?s a primer on some of the key issues:

 

What?s on the ballot?

The big question is whether to build an elementary school for preschool through fifth-grade students, at a cost of $25.5 million. The school would consolidate Iola?s three existing elementary schools ? McKinley, Jefferson and Lincoln. Fifth grade classes would move out of Iola Middle School, freeing space at that building. The district?s preschool program likely would expand. Supporters say a new elementary school could save between $300,000 to $500,000 each year in improved efficiencies like lower utility costs, reduced maintenance and less duplication of services. 

Voters also will decide two additional questions. The elementary school question must pass in order for the other questions to pass.

The second proposition calls for a new science and technology building at the Iola High School campus, for $7 million. The building would offer science, engineering, family and consumer education classes and more for both high school and middle school students. It also would include a cafeteria with commons area, and would serve as a storm shelter for all high school and middle school students and staff.

The third proposition would replace aging heating, ventilation and cooling systems, and the hot water system at Iola Middle School for $2.8 million. Those units are well past their life expectancies. Students and staff at the middle school complain about uneven temperatures throughout the building.

 

How much will it cost taxpayers?

The owner of a $70,000 house can expect to pay about $10.48 more in property taxes each month just for the elementary school. If all three issues are approved, the increase will be about $14.57 a month.

The total cost of the projects, if all three were to pass, is $35.3 million. But local taxpayers would be responsible for just 65 percent of those costs, or about $22.945 million. That?s because the state will pay 35 percent of the costs. It?s part of a state effort to make it easier for poorer districts to build new facilities when local voters determine a need.

Those opposed to the school bond proposals often cite costs as a primary reason. Allen County, like Southeast Kansas in general, suffers from an aging and decreasing population. The county has some of the highest rates of poverty and poor health in the state. Some worry the additional taxes will place an unfair burden on business owners and farmers.

Property owners can estimate how much a new elementary school might cost, using their most recent property tax statement. Find the ?assessed valuation? and multiply it by .01562. That would be the additional cost in taxes for a year. Divide by 12 to get the monthly cost. To find out how much you?ll pay for a new science and technology center (Question 2), multiply your assessed valuation by .00434. For the HVAC system (Question 3), multiply by .00176.

Add those results to see what it would cost if all three questions are approved.

 

Where will a new elementary school be located?

A steering committee tasked with studying facilities picked a site near Kentucky and Monroe streets for the new elementary school because it?s essentially in the middle of the district, and about as close as you can get to Gas and LaHarpe while still being within Iola city limits. The location was cited as a priority for committee members, board members and residents in general.

But the area once was the site of an iron works foundry and a zinc smelting operation. At least portions of the property likely are contaminated with lead. The Environmental Protection Agency has designated that property and others around Iola as a Superfund site, slated for soil remediation. Soil remediation in parts of Iola began in 2006 and are expected to continue for about four more years. The property in question isn?t slated for cleanup until 2021, but officials said the process could be expedited if voters approve the elementary school.

Though some or all of the cost of remediation might be covered by the EPA, the bond issue includes up to $500,000 designated for soil cleanup. State health officials said it?s ?absolutely? possible to make the site safe for children.

 

Will it improve safety?

Modern school facilities are designed with safety features in mind, Shannon Ferguson-Bohm, president of SJCF Architects, said at a recent forum on the school bond issue. That includes things like handicapped-accessible features, a security system with cameras and intruder locks on doors, and controlled entrances that would direct visitors into a vestibule or directly to the office before they could access other parts of the school. Both the elementary school and science/tech building would include storm shelters.

Traffic safety also is addressed. The elementary school would feature separate driveways for buses and other traffic. An abandoned railroad line potentially could be developed into a walking path students could use to traverse part of Iola. 

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