The idea of a new Ames, Iowa, High School cleared its latest hurdle Monday night when a community feedback group recommended constructing a new building to the school board.
Speaking to the board, Duane Reeves, who led the committee, said in face-to-face conversations, 85 percent of community members supported building a new Ames High. Prompted by a question from board Vice President Alisa Frandsen, Reeves said he was confident the public would vote to support a bond referendum to fund the project.
"Our community has informed us we should build for growth and build mindful of our students," he said, reading from the written recommendation from the committee to the board.
Before a potential bond referendum, though, the school board would have to vote to proceed with Phase 2 of the high school project, which would involve contracting architectural and construction firms. If all goes according to plan, the board would be able to put the bond referendum on the ballot in April at the earliest. At least 60 percent of voters would have to vote to approve the bond.
Reeves said members of the community, about 200 of whom attended four open forums at the current high school, wanted a better learning environment for students, an improved auditorium and a building with fewer safety concerns.
"It's time," he said.
He said once people heard their property taxes wouldn't increase, they were open to the Ames Community School District spending the money for the new building, and skeptics were able to get their questions answered during the forums. Back in the spring, the school board had expressed its preference for a new school that would cost an estimated $95 million. But according to the district, it could still build a more expensive school without raising property taxes.
Reeves encouraged the board to think bigger, too. Even if a bigger school costs a few extra million dollars, voters will likely still support it.
"I think people were telling us, 'Don't build too small. Build large enough to have these classrooms; build large enough to have these bigger walkways. Build large enough to allow teachers like (Ames High chemistry teacher) Aileen Sullivan to do the things that she needs to do in her classroom...'" he said. "That was the key thing.
"They didn't want you to skimp," Reeves told the board.
He said if the project does move forward, people will volunteer to speak with parent-teacher organizations and other community groups and individuals the district has yet to reach in preparation for the bond referendum. Making a "ballpark" estimate, Reeves predicted somewhere around 80 percent of voters would vote in support of building a new high school.
