Voters in the Greene County Community School District will have a proposition on their ballots in the Sept. 8 school election asking for approval of a $20 million bond issue. The school board at a special meeting June 24 approved a resolution accepting the petitions required to call for the election.
The funds would be used to construct classroom additions, remodel, repair, improve, furnish and equip the current pre-kindergarten through third grade school (on E. Russell St in Jefferson) into a building for pre-K through fourth grade; and to construct a competition gym and classroom additions, remodel, repair, improve, furnish and equip the current high school building to accommodate grades 5-12 and the district’s administrative offices.
Superintendent Tim Christensen provided more information following the meeting. The addition at the elementary would include additional classroom space and new office space that would provide a secure entrance to the building.
Work at the high school would include four additional classrooms on the west end of the building and renovation of the existing classrooms to house students in grades 5-8. There would be a separate entrance off S. Elm St (Highway 4) and a secure office. The current cafeteria would be utilized by the younger students.
New construction to the northeast of the existing building would include a new commons area (cafeteria), a competition gym, and 24 new classrooms stacked in two stories. Space would also be added on the north side of the building to enlarge the performing arts space and add office space.
The school district offices would move to the 5-12 complex. Christensen said the school would work with the Greene County Early Learning Center with a goal of the ELC owning the current administration building. The ELC now rents the majority of the building.
Some renovation would be done on the middle school gym and it would continue as a competition site. There is no plan at this time to raze the three-story classroom portion of the building. Christensen said it hopefully would be “repurposed by some other entity.” He said the same about the intermediate school building (formerly East Greene) in Grand Junction. The Rippey gym was recently sold to the city of Rippey. Christensen suggested its final use would be as a Community Center much like the Scranton Community Center.
Approval of the bond issue requires 60 percent plus one of the total ballots cast. If the bond issue is approved in September, bonds would be sold next spring and construction would begin in the summer of 2016. A least a portion of the project could be completed by the start of the 2017-18 school year.
The goal of the project is to provide the district with long term cost savings by improving efficiency in staffing, building maintenance and utilities, and transportation.
By law, school districts can spend money to provide factual information about the proposed project but cannot campaign for its passage.
Petitions calling for the election were circulated by members of the school’s facilities committee. A number equal to 25 percent of the total number of ballots cast in the last school election was required. Business manager Brenda Muir said 168 signatures were required; 249 signatures were submitted. She said they came from residents of all parts of the district.
Members of the facilities committee are Cara Reedy, Dawn Rudolph and Amanda Schroeder of Scranton; Kathy Bravard, Todd Hansen and Tanner Stauffer of Jefferson; Maleea Gannon, David Tipton and Jenny Wessling of Grand Junction; teachers Nancy Kauffman and Dean Lansman; and board members Sam Harding, Susan Burkett and Jeff Lamoureux. Reedy, Stauffer, Hansen, Wessling and Lansman circulated the petition.
