Ames School Board approves bond language for new high school

It only took a matter of minutes for the Ames school board to unanimously approve language for a bond referendum needed to finance building a new high school during a special meeting Monday night.

The board convened at 5:15 p.m., and by 5:21 p.m., the meeting concluded with no discussion needed and all board members voting in favor of the school district authorizing issuing $110 million in general obligation bonds to build a new high school, and put in additions at the Meeker, Mitchell and Edwards elementary school buildings.

After multiple work sessions and board meetings spent on the topic in recent months, it was ultimately decided that construction of a new $14 million to $15 million dollar high school pool will not be included in the bond language, and will instead be paid for through 1-cent sales tax dollars. The elementary schools were recently added to the project as well due to enrollment within the district increasing significantly over the last year, with more than 200 new students now attending Ames schools.

Leading up to Monday's meeting, the tentative bond language allowed for $105 million in general obligation bonds for the new high school and elementary school additions, but the number was bumped up by $5 million to ensure a shortage of funding did not occur in the middle of construction, resulting in sacrificing facility features.

"Our desire is to be fiscally responsible, while ensuring we complete the job that we believe our community desires," said school board President Alisa Frandsen. "I think that we have really dedicated the time and the discussions and the research behind the decision [of the bond referendum language], that it does not surprise me that the board was in such a comfortable place tonight. So it's very exciting to be at this point."

Roosevelt School Building, Ames, Iowa

The language chosen Monday night will now be placed on a petition for the high school project, which requires 935 signatures to be collected in order for the bond referendum to be placed on a ballot, according to Director of School, Community and Media Relations Eric Smidt. The number of signatures needed must equal 25 percent of the ballots submitted in the most recent school election, which in this case was last September's school board election.

In a previous interview, Duane Reeves, chairman of the committee tasked with gauging community interest over the prospect of building a new high school to replace the current one built in 1960, said that with board approval on bond referendum language now complete, petitions should be printed and out collecting signatures by the end of this week.

Reeves said the plan is to have volunteers stand outside of all Ames schools mornings and afternoons asking for around 1,000-1,200 signatures to be on the safe side, which equates to collecting approximately 130 signatures per school. Anyone who lives within the Ames school district and is at least 18 years old will be able to sign the petition in support of the project. Individuals with students who open enroll into Ames schools, but do not live within the district, will not be eligible for participation.

In order to have the final bond referendum language on an election ballot this spring, the school district has until Feb. 15 to gather the needed signatures and submit them to the county auditor, according to Superintendent Tim Taylor.

If the necessary number of signatures are collected, a vote on the bond referendum will be planned for April 3. Unlike other types of votes, 60 percent approval is required to pass a bond issue, not just a simple majority.

In some cases, districts earned majority approval from the voters, but not 60 percent. Nine of the failed bond measures over the past two years of available data had 50 or more percent approval.

During the meeting, the school board also unanimously voted to award the high school construction management contract to Story Construction.

Tribune Content Agency
School bonds Iowa
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