Posted 1/31/01
Some residents call for bigger school referendum building project
By Danielle Strenke
A surprising number of residents said they would be in favor of spending more money to solve space problems in the North Branch School District.
Around 30-40 residents attended a public meeting to hear details of a proposed $24 million referendum, which will be decided on by residents in May.
Dr. Robert Stepaniak, Superintendent of Schools, said the school board has looked a variety of options to alleviate overcrowding, and anticipate further growth in the district. Several in the audience were concerned that the plan to build a new elementary school and modify the primary school would only solve space needs for another five to six years.
ìWhat do you say to people that want you to spend more money,î said one audience member.
ìIf I would have my way it would be more, and I donít hear that getting any consideration,î she said.
Stepaniak told her the board was walking a fine line between planning into the future, and yet staying conservative with its referendum package. ìWe didnít want to ask for more money. We tried to be careful to fashion a proposal the majority will support,î he said.
The proposed referendum includes the construction of a new elementary school, at a cost of $21.3 million, which would have the capability of serving 1,000 students, and updating some of the mechanics at the primary school. The other half of the referendum is asking for $500,000 to update technology resources within the schools. Both questions will be on a ballot which will be mailed to residents in May.
Some in attendance also disagreed with the districtís stance on using the Main Street School. One parent of a fourth grader said, ìI canít see why you think the Main Street School is a cohesive place for elementary learning,î he said. ìItís terrible, it should be leveled.î
Stepaniak told the group that the Main Street School was build in five stages, with the first part built in 1930.
Although the 1930 portion ìis on its last legî, he said it is structurally sound, and the district would most likely continue to use the building for classes, offices, and storage. ìAt one point it was discussed to level the Main Street School,î one resident said. ìItís a death trap, why not level the whole thing and abandon it.î
Stepaniak said the building will remain, whether it is used for classrooms or not. ìA lot of people have emotional ties to that building because they went to school there,î he said. ìWe donít want to insult them, because they want it there.î
Although a decision on where the new elementary school would be is not definite, Stepaniak said the district would like to put it on school grounds, most likely south of the high school.
Solving the immediate space needs of the district is foremost on the agenda, Stepaniak said. He told the audience that three of the four buildings in the district would be at or over capacity next year. If the referendum passed, a new elementary school could be open as early as fall 2003. Some said the problem would be even worse by then. ìYouíve almost overstepped your growth on a building that isnít built yet,î one resident said.
Stepaniak said it was difficult for the district to build new facilities for growth projections beyond five years. ìWhen you look at projections out more than five years, I get nervous,î he said. ìIf we go out farther and we are wrong with the projections, then thatís wasting taxpayer dollars.î
If it passes, district residents can expect their taxes to increase by about $200 on a $100,000 home. If it fails, Stepaniak said, the district will have to look at other options for the upcoming school year.
One of those options includes a split shift, where high school students would attend classes from morning until early afternoon, and the rest of the districtís students would attend from early afternoon to early evening.
Other options are all-year school, with staggered three-month breaks for 25 percent of the student body at a time; all-day, every day kindergarten, and a kindergarten center.
Failure of passing would also mean increased class sizes, and limiting extracurricular activities.
ìWhy wasnít this brought to the voters before this,î one resident asked. Stepaniak told him that while the district has been seeing growth, the unexpected enrollment of 135 more students this year made the issue more immediate.
He was confident that the district will continue to face growth issues into the next several years. ìI feel these are conservative estimates because we donít want to overbuild and waste taxpayer dollars, but I fear the numbers will be higher than projected.î
At the end of the meeting, Stepaniak invited those in attendance on a tour of the primary school, and said residents were invited to tour the Main Street School at any time as well.
The Jan. 29 public meeting on this issue was canceled due to icy conditions, no date was available for the rescheduled meeting at presstime.