The District 55 School Board decided that it would not pursue another bond to fund construction of a new pool, reconstruction of the track and work on other athletic and community facilities.
The School District passed a $19 million bond last week to repair and construct facilities throughout the district’s schools. A $4 million bond failed by eight votes. That bond would have been used toward the community and athletic facilities, including a new pool.
The School Board met June 5 to discuss issues surrounding the passage of the first bond and failure of the second.
“The results of the election shows the poll was pretty darned accurate,” campaign worker Donna Short said. “from my neophyte experience, I think we’ve pushed (the community) as far as they can go right now.”
With the uncertainty of the economy right now, she doubts that the district could successfully pass another bond right now.
Other parts of the community will be going to voters with levies in the next year, Director Scott Proctor said.
Among those will be the Sweet Home Police Department, Sweet Home Public Library and Linn County Sheriff’s Office seeking renewals of their operating levies.
Add to that the $1.50 per $1,000 rate for the new Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District, Director Don Hopkins said. The rate is a considerable increase for the rural areas.
Some persons are talking of forming a pool district, City Manager Craig Martin said. That presents some serious issues with 1990’s Measure 5 compression.
“I’ve got my law enforcement levy, with truly only one way to fund it,” Martin said. Without the ability to construct a new pool through a bond, other funding options, like a district, take the community dangerously close to compression problems, which limit general government taxes to $10 per $1,000 of property valuation. The compression reduces all general government levies proportionally to meet that limit.
District administration will look at various options, such as potential interest on bond funds, to possibly fund smaller projects from the second bond request, such as rebuilding the track.
The School Board is seeking applicants to serve on a bond oversight committee, which was promised as part of he bond request. The committee will be advisory to the board and oversee bond expenditures, reviewing spending to ensure that bond funds are spent on voter-approved projects.
Individuals interested in serving on the committee must complete a candidate information form and return it to the superintendent’s office, 1920 Long St., by 4 p.m. on June 29. For more information, persons may call the superintendent’s office at 367-7126.
The board will appoint members at its August meeting.
Work on some smaller projects will begin this summer, Supt. Bill Hampton said. Larger projects will be planned over the next year for construction next summer. Bonds should be sold by the end of the month.
Design teams will be formed in buildings throughout the district, with a districtwide design team overseeing the plans for each building. The school board also will see plans before work begins.
The major concern in the bond is the construction of portions of the high school, Supt. Hampton said. The project will run into the school year. The design team and oversight committee will have input in how to address the issue.
Potential solutions include the construction of the new gym first and the possible use of four modular classrooms at Hawthorne after they are replaced to provide classroom space for high school students. The auditorium also could be used, though Supt. Hampton said he is not comfortable doing the project in stages that way if it’s not cost-effective.