EDUCATION

District looks for feedback on plan

Michael Stavola mstavola@morningsun.net

PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg school district is looking for feedback on its most recent potential bond plan.

Almost 11,000 surveys are going out this week to determine the community’s willingness to potentially adopt the $30.2 million project, which touches each building in the district and adds a storm shelter at the Family Resource Center. The five-question survey can be taken online as well through usd250.org.

“We try to give people options to respond … We are trying to be as transparent as possible,” Superintendent of Schools Destry Brown said.

Brown hopes to take a “serious look” at the results in a couple weeks and give the school board the findings for the Aug. 8 meeting.

The $30.2 million project is less than half of the failed bond in January with roughly 58 percent not in favor. A district survey showed people were opposed to the high price and demolition of the middle school’s 1920s section.

The new plan, although not finalized, is meant to address those concerns.

All elementary schools would get a storm shelter which could serve as two additional classrooms. The shelters would meet FEMA’s requirements for wind at 250 mph and rubble load. Lakeside would get an updated kitchen and cafeteria as well. Including the resource center, the estimated price would be $4.85 million.

The middle school is estimated at $7.71 million and includes a second gymnasium with locker rooms to serve as a shelter, also meeting FEMA standards. The price includes additional parking.

The district purchased the home at 202 E. 14th Street earlier this month for $88,000. The home is adjacent to the middle school and would be used as parking for the new gymnasium, which would go where the current parking lot is.

Brown said the space could be used for additional parking whether or not the district pursues a bond and the bond passes. 

The middle school plan does not renovate the 1920s section of the middle school. Instead, the district will use capital outlay money to preserve the building for future use. Brown said renovation to the 1920s section would put the district over its range of $30 to $40 million.

"The reason we made that decision is because we are trying to keep the cost down at the $30 million mark,” he said.

The high school is estimated at $17.6 million and includes upgrades to the heating and air conditioning system ($5.33 million), a new kitchen and cafeteria to serve as a storm shelter at $4.5 million, remodeling and repurposing eight classrooms for science at $1.9 million, remodeling the media center and life skills classrooms at $1.3 million and adding new administrative and student services offices at the entrance.

The survey asks what residents like and dislike in the plan, if a potential $30 million could be supported by the community, thoughts about the plan not including renovation of the middle school’s 1920s section and if the respondent would support a bond election.

The district currently has $17.17 million in debt scheduled to retire in 2023. The proposed plan would mean a 5.5 mill increase for 20 years. One mill is $1 per $1,000 of assessed property value. For a home valued at $100,000, the cost increase would be $63 annually. For a commercial property valued at $100,000, the cost would be $138 annually.

State aid reimburses 29 percent of the bond over time.

— Michael Stavola is a staff writer at The Morning Sun. He can be emailed at mstavola@morningsun.net or follow him on Twitter @MichaelStavola1.