Convince Me

[sixdogsmom]

Why should I vote yes for a bond issue for a gradeschool in Howard, Kansas when I live in Moline, and we have a functioning gradeschool? Why should I vote for a new gradeschool in Howard when that town already has a school that is large enough to accomodate the entire student population in the entire district? Why should I vote for a new gradeschool in Howard when the student population is dwindling, and has been dwindling for many years , and continues to do so? Why should I vote for a new gradeschool in Howard, and in the process raise my taxes to an admittedly $100.00 plus per year, and probably much more when the cost overruns come in, and they invariably do so. My taxes have doubled in the past nine years, I simply cannot bear much more. Most people here live on fixed income as do I. There is a limit to our resources. I am also concerned about losing our gradeschool, Grenola had a very nice school, and it was closed in favor of Howard. That struck a mortal blow to the community. Will this happen to Moline? The loss of a school, and grocery store are death knells to a community. Moline will very soon have a good supply of quality water, something that Howard lacks. Just another thought. Convince me.

[D Whetstone]

SixDogs,

I will try to give you my thoughts on the bond election. You raise valid questions. I will answer one of them now. I will be back later, to discuss more, after completing the rest of todays activities.

You commented on the increase in taxes and stated "probably much more when the cost overruns come in, and they invariably do so."  The bond is set at $5.55 million because this is the amount the Construction Manager (Hutton Construction) has committed to as a "cost not to exceed".  That means this is a guaranteed maximum price.  We, the district, will not be on the hook for cost overruns if there is any.  Cost overruns will be the responsibility of the Construction Manager.  The question on the ballot clearly states that the bonds will be sold for an amount not to exceed $5.55 million.

Thanks,

David Whetstone

[flo]

I realize that something needs to be done or we will ALL loose our schools.  I understand that if the district is to build a central elementary school, it will cost all the district patrons.  I believe Piedmont, Climax and Fall River are prime examples of towns that lost their schools.  I would hate to see Severy and Moline become less than they are now.  I grew up in Severy.  I raised my daughters in Severy.  I went 12 years of school in Severy.  I'm like SDM, I am on a very limited income and am very very concerned about how much this will raise my taxes.  Already paying twice what I paid in Greenwood county, and that again, I understand, is based on county population, but there has to be a stopping place somewhere if you want to keep us homeowners who live on a tight budget in your district. I still have a granchild in this school system.  She deserves the very best.  But, I still must worry about how I will make ends meet if they keep stretching the middle.  I have real mixed feeling about this school bond issue and have yet to convince myself that it is necessary.  Better make a decision before long, tho, as voting day will be here before you know it.

[pepelect]

Why should I vote yes for a bond issue for a grade school in Howard, Kansas when I live in Moline, and we have a functioning grade school?

The current configuration of the three campus system with the number of students that we have is not sustainable.

We can not afford to keep three buildings open now because they are costing us too much to maintain.  We have deferred fixing things that are very expensive to fix just because we do not have the budget to fix them.  But that does not mean they do not need fixed to provide a viable school for many years.  The current grade school buildings are 40+ years old.  The "new" high school is 30 years old.  Old buildings have old expensive building problems. For example the north half of one building roof needs to be replaced.  The boiler systems at both grade schools have about used up their useful life span. The entire water system inside the Severy building is a patch connected to another patch.   
It all adds up to over a million dollars of deferred maintenance that needs to be done to keep the current system. 
That doesn't fix any of the other more important problems the district has with the educational funding and program side of the equation.
You said that your taxes have already doubled. With the 15 years with the plan in place your taxes (LOB) for education would go down.  Voting no does not address any of the issues we are facing.

[Wilma]

These questions need to be answered now even though the answers themselves won't fix the problem.  Voting "Yes" in November is what will fix the problem.  The problem as I see it is that we are going to lose our whole school system if we don't come up with something soon.  We need to stop spending money on old inadequate buildings now.  As for taxes, we built a new grade school in Severy and the taxes didn't break us.  We built a new high school down here and the taxes didn't break us.  Of course we weren't on a limited income at the time, but there were people that were.  My taxes have gone up each year that I have owned Elk County property without making any major improvements in the county.  At least we would have something to show for the tax raise.  Somehow or other I will manage.

I didn't have 12 years of school at Severy, but my daughters did.  Two of them finished their schooling at North Elk and West Elk.  I have two great grandchildren in the school system here.  One goes to Severy, the other to Moline.  I will be voting "Yes" no matter what the answers to the questions are.

[sixdogsmom]

One more thing---- what provisions are being made for the old buildings? I think it would be very irresponsible to just walk away as has been done in so many communities. Pep, didn't you post before that the Moline school was the most energy efficient of the three buildings, and that the 'new' highschool was the worst? How will that be addressed? How will building a gradeschool in Howard help that situation?

[frawin]

Wilma, I think they should make you the Poster Grandmother for the Bond Issue, you said that very well. I am a taxpayer in Elk County and I would vote for it if I could.

[indygal]

I support the bond even though I don't have children or grandchildren in the school system here. I support it because consolidating West Elk into one campus is the only way we're going to keep an elementary school in this part of the county. Elk Valley does a fine job of serving the southern part, but is it equipped to take the rest of Elk County grade schoolers when Severy and Moline schools become impossible to maintain? I've seen both of the schools, and the upkeep is only going to grow more expensive in the coming years. As pepelect mentioned, there is quite a lot of redundancy spending -- utilities, food services, phone and so on-- that instead could be used to hire and keep good teachers and offer the courses kids need to compete in the working world. If I were a parent of school-aged kids, I would be far more interested in education quality than building proximity. I'd hate to think Elk County kids could end up in Eureka or Sedan because voters decided keeping two old buildings open was a higher priority.

[sixdogsmom]

So---- would you supporters vote for it if you knew it meant the death of your town?

[indygal]

Pep, are there provisions to remove or repurpose the existing buildings? I know it was discussed to have that expense included in the financing so there wouldn't be a repeat of the Howard mess, but I haven't heard any more about it.

Elk County is the smallest county and Howard the smallest town I've ever lived in. I've not lived in a town with fewer than three grade schools, so I don't know firsthand how closing an elementary could devastate a town in the way SDM is describing. Is it the employment factor? The busing? I can certainly understand there is some nostalgia involved, but money and sentiment are usually two different creatures. I don't like the idea of paying for something now that will be boarded up or torn down in a few years anyway. I also don't like the idea of USD 282 kids -- and tax dollars -- being bused out of the county.