Elementary renovation approved

Posted 8/23/01

Elementary renovation approved

By MaryHelen Swanson

The Rush City School Board has accepted the recommendation of a specially-assigned space needs task force and will proceed with a referendum for the renovation and substantial addition to C.E. Jacobson Elementary School.

The election will be held late in the year and the exact amount the board will be requesting of district voters has not yet been determined. However, the price tag on the recommended option, as presented by the task force, stands at $12,050,000.
In light of the ìunknownî which would be the cost of roof replacement at the high school, Superintendent Tim Eklund asked that the motion to approve proceeding with the project not include a cost.
The proposed project includes removal of the round portion of the elementary school (built in 1966) and replacement with a new structure that will increase the buildingís capacity to 700 students (see building plan).
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The present building has a capacity, based on current Department of Children, Families and Learning (CFL) guidelines, of 324 and there are 517 students now enrolled at that building.
The project will address many of the identified priorities the space needs task force listed early in the process including: a safer bus access and drop off area, more cafeteria space, larger classroom size and more storage, better acoustics, the lack of a music room and auditorium, and art and science rooms that can be used for their intended purposes.
Other items include improvements in indoor air quality, better coat storage (crowded hallway storage has led to the spread of head lice, etc.), and getting music students out of the mechanical rooms and corridors for instructions.
In preparing the recommendation, the committee also addressed the issue of bus storage and the plan includes a transportation building north of the baseball/football field near the water tower which can house 20 vehicles.
Twelve of the 18 members of the space needs task force voted for the option chosen by the school board last week.
One chose Option A, noted Charles Orton of the DLR Group, consultant on the project. That option was to do nothing.
Option B, which was to add a small addition with no renovation, was rejected by all when it was learned that CFL would not approve the project as it would not ìallow equitable delivery of education.î
Five members chose option C which included a major addition and renovation without removing the round building.
While option D, as approved, was the most expensive choice, it was given the longest list of pros including the fact that it would meet CFLís guidelines and provide room for additional growth.
It also allows for Early Childhood programs to be united with other school programs in one building, it solves the curved corridor supervision problems, provides space for fine arts and science, distributes toilets within the facility, provides a new kitchen and cafeteria space, and new gym space.
It proposes to eliminate under-sized classrooms, resolve entrance supervision problems, improve air quality, provide loading dock and service access and isolates bus traffic from general traffic (see site layout).
According to Orton, the project can be accomplished by using the old round school while building the new addition then razing the old one when the new facility is completed.
Administration may have to find ìswing spaceî during the interim, he noted.
Because of time constraints, the actual referendum may not take place until late December.
A timeline established by the DLR Group has construction starting in August 2002 and the new facility completed by September 2003, if a referendum is passed.

According to information dispersed at the school board meeting last week, for many homeowners in Dist. 139, this may be the opportune year to pass a bond issue.
Thanks to the Minnesota Legislature this past session, the General Education funding portion that has been on local property taxes for 30 years will be removed. Carolyn Drude of Ehlers and Associations, the districtís financial consultants, noted that the state will now pick up 100 percent of this aid.
In passing a $12 million referendum, however, there will be an increase in taxes.
According to tables distributed by Drude, a home valued at $125,000 would see a reduction of $206 in General Education taxes paid. A $12,125,000 bond issue (including financing costs, etc.) would increase the taxes for debt service for this property by $135. Thus the homeowner would actually see a savings, unless the district increases the levies for Health and Safety and Community Ed to the point it increases the overall levy significantly.
This same results would occur for commercial and industrial property.
Superintendent Tim Eklund marveled at the idea that a bond issue could be passed and taxes would actually go down.
The savings, however, do not seem to apply to properties valued at $100,000 or less or ag properties valued under $300,000. According to the same charts, property valued at $80,000 would have $53 coming off for the General Ed levy, but the tax increase for the debt service for the building project would be $86. At a value of $100,000, the property tax would be reduced $75 for the General Ed portion, but would increase $108 due to the passed referendum.
Likewise, ag property valued at $100,000 would see a General Ed levy reduction of $55, but an increase for the new project of $88.
If passed, the district would have the option of a 20 or 25-year bond period wrapped around current debt service so the payments would remain fairly stable during the entire period, according to Carolyn Drude.