Bond issue proposal now set at $11.2 million
The Giltner School Board has again scaled down plans for renovations to school facilities which will also reduce the size of the bond issue being considered to pay for the project. The revisions to the plan were announced at a Feb. 7 board meeting that was attended by approximately 60 staff and community residents.
Aided by representatives from Wilkins Design, Hausmann Construction and First National Capital Markets, the board addressed the new changes made to the proposed renovation plans.
The proposed bond, which was set at $21.4 million when the original plans were announced at a special public forum board meeting held in November, is now set at $11.2 million. That figure represents a decrease of $350,000 from the previous cost announced in the January board meeting.
In starting the meeting, Board President Ross Lyon said the changes were based on feedback received since the November meeting.
“We’ve brought something to the public before and did a survey also,” Lyon stated. “All the board members have talked to different people in the community and have received feedback, so we went back to work and to the drawing board and really narrowed it down to just what we need.”
Architect Jacob Sertich from Wilkins Design, discussed details of the changes.
“You may recall last time there was proposed work for the track and field, and that is no longer part of the proposed project,” Sertich said. “To Ross’s point, we really streamlined this proposed project to really address the most urgent needs that the district has identified.”
Some of those changes include a new kitchen with a new serving area, additional spaces for a walk-in freezer and cooler as well as a concessions area.
“The existing original kitchen is really small, outdated, lots of issues and lots of code issues,” he explained.
Other revisions discussed by Sertich included converting the current science lab into a new English classroom, with a new science lab potentially being built next to new classrooms for the Little Stingers Daycare. More classrooms for the elementary grades will also be added in addition to adding new bathrooms and locker rooms.
Under the current plan exterior changes are planned for the north and east sides of the school, with additional doors being added with the new daycare classrooms, potential paving of the parking lot and a vestibule on the northeast side for visitors and fans to enter the school during home games.
“As far as the exterior finishes on the proposed addition, we wanted to blend it in as best we could with the existing context here,” Sertich commented. “Some brick, some brick wainscote and metal panels above that to match what you have on this building.”
Next to speak after Sertich was First National Capital Markets representative Austin Portridge, who presented the proposed costs and plans.
“As the process moves forward, if the board does decide to call a bond election, there’ll be a lot of information coming out and part of that information is some simple tax calculators that we’ll send out together and share with you,” Portridge explained. “You can actually go on and type in your specific assessed valuation for property and your ag production lane and see what your impact will be.”
Portridge said the bond is at $11,215,00 cost with 29.3 cent levy impact, with the expectation of $293 on $100,000 of property value and $12.93 per acre on irrigated land.
“This would be under 20-year bond interest rates,” he stated. “Right now a 20 year bond is right around 4.5 percent. We’ve seen that come down a little bit over these past couple of weeks. Since December of last year we’ve been seeing the rate come down and there’s a lot of indication that’s going to continue. Total interest on that size amount over 20 years, if it remained outstanding for the full 20 years, would be about $6.5 million.”
“I share all of these values and numbers with you to really say this is the most conservative estimate of what the district would pay again,” Portridge stated. “As Tobin (Buchanan) mentioned last time, as the valuation increases for the district, the lower that levy needs to be to repay the bond.”
Concluding the board’s presentation was Jesse Volpp of Hausmann Construction, who emphasized the importance of community input and discussed the potential construction schedule.
“We would start construction later this year (in May) and getting everything out, scoping things out in parts and pieces to make sure the community has the opportunity to be involved in a capacity that they want to be in,” Volpp stated.
During the time set aside for audience questions, community members questioned the reasoning behind the family bathroom. Previously board members and Sertich had said the purpose was to give families with young children privacy.
“A caveat on to that is also if a teacher needs to privately help a student,” Lyon said. “That’s possible to do that there without having a whole bunch of other students around in the same bathroom.”
Community members questioned the reason for renovating the locker rooms.
“We currently have boys and girls using the showers at different times, but (they) use the same one,” Supt. Nick Mumm said. “You do that by locking and unlocking the doors... and that’s a potential issue.”
He also said the proposed renovations to the locker rooms would benefit the coaches who are unable to use the locker rooms for changing after practices.
Concern was also expressed by community members regarding how children from the Little Stingers Daycare were going to be able to get into their classrooms when Giltner was a one-entrance-school.
“Each daycare classroom has a door accessible from the outside,” explained Mandy Eastman, Little Stingers Daycare director. “That’s where the parents would come in, so if you’re going to daycare Classroom A... you’re going to knock on that door from the outside. You’re never going to enter through the corridor or the vestibule.”
Another question related to the daycare was why the school was adding classrooms inside the school when renovations to the daycare’s current building were made a couple months ago.
“We knew those buildings were going to be a temporary situation,” Lyon said. “Those buildings aren’t designed to last lots of years and they’re not the most efficient on utilities. The daycare’s a huge piece and we feel as a board it’s a huge piece of this school and bringing students and families to this school because they can do it all here and they drop the little kids off along with the older kids who have school.”
After the meeting concluded, Mumm commented that the board will discuss and potentially vote on whether to put a bond resolution on the May 14 primary election ballot its regular school board meeting on Monday, Feb. 19. The deadline for filing to be on that ballot is March 1.
The presentation given at the meeting and changes made to the proposed plan will be posted on the school’s website menu under “Expansion Project.” Drawings are subject to change and are not finalized.
For any questions about the proposed plan or to schedule a time to see the school during operating hours, contact Mumm at nmumm@giltnerschool.us or by calling (402) 849-2238.