Central Remodel Questions and Answers Post

I am starting a question and answer post to my Blog in regards to the proposed remodel plan and upcoming bond vote.  If any of my readers have further questions they would like answered, please post them here.  Any question that includes your name will be posted and receive a response.

Q: What construction projects will the bond issue fund?

A:

·      Security cameras and doors on main entrances of the building

·      Remodel district offices

·      New commons area and kitchen

·      New handicap accessible restrooms

·      New concession stand

·      New guidance counselor office and meeting area

·      New elementary office and teacher work-room

·      New elementary music room

·      New special education classrooms

·      New weight room, cardio, aerobics rooms

·      New locker rooms

·      New elevator to address accessibility

·      Remodel industrial tech area

·      New multipurpose room

·      New 21^st Century learning areas

·      New high school/middle school media center

·      New Scaled-Up classroom

·      Remodel science rooms, lab, and greenhouse

·      New parking lot

·      New stairway and repairing existing stairway to the playground

Q: What are 21^st Century learning areas?

A: Learning in the 21^st Century is more about collaboration and teaching kids how to find the answer with numerous resources and working together. In order to do this, learning environments need smaller common areas to collaborate and discuss where students can feel comfortable and hang out while learning. Furniture is designed for collaboration and handicap accessibility.

Q: What is a Scaled-Up Classroom?

A: These learning environments are highly technical and interactive rooms that help students collaborate, create, and learn using the latest technologies to prepare for workplace and college. The furniture is flexible and the room allows many different learning styles to take place.

Here is a picture of the proposed new Scaled-Up classroom:

Q: Haven’t we put a lot of money into the media center in the last year and now we want to demo it?

A: The district has put a lot of money into all parts of our building since the last time we passed a bond (43 years ago).  Three years ago a few cosmetic things were updated in the media center, such as carpet and paint.  The largest cost went into furnishing the media center.  These furnishings will be used in the new media center and 21^st Century learning areas.  The remodel will allow better use of our existing spaces and will create a better flow for our building.

Pictures of the new media center located on the 3rd floor next to high school classrooms:

Q: Who will be contracted to construct the project if the bond is passed?

A: It will go out to bid and all considerations will be evaluated and decided at that time. Anyone that is able to bond for the work will be able to bid on the project, including local contractors.

Q: I’ve heard the school will probably be closing in the future, why put more money into the current school?

A: Central Community School District is financially strong and that is public information found at the Iowa Department of Management website.  This rumor is simply not true.  Central is here to stay for the foreseeable future!

Q: What did we just vote for, wasn’t that for the remodel?

A: The April election was for an extension of our current tax levies (Physical Plant & Equipment and Local Option Sales Tax) and did not increase our property taxes.  The funds from these levies are used to purchase school buses and vehicles, technology, and any building and grounds maintenance and repairs.

 

Q: Who has been in on the design planning of the proposed remodel?

A: A 40 member facilities committee was formed made up of parents, staff, students, board members, business owners, as well as community members without kids in our school.  The committee worked with Struxture Architects and developed the remodel plan based on a needs assessment report of our current facility.  The facility committee then made a recommendation to the school board to move forward with a bond to address the immediate needs of our aging facility.

Q: Why not just build a new school outside of town?

A: The short answer, we can’t.  A new school district would cost $20 million for a PreK-12 building, and that amount does not include the purchasing of land, equipping the buildings, and competition areas.  Central can only bond for 5% of it’s total land value as set by law, which is approximately $16 million.  Central does not have the bonding capacity to build a new PreK-12 facility.

There are many academic benefits of our current location.  Students and staff are within walking distance of our courthouse, library, post office, banks, Opera House, and local businesses.  These partnerships and opportunities are invaluable to a student’s learning.

           

Q: Why is the kitchen and lunchroom being included in the remodel?

A: Currently the kitchen and lunchroom are a combined 2,974 square feet without air conditioning and in need of updating.  Due to the small size, lunches need to be served in many shifts over a long period of time.  In some cases, students at the end of the line only have a few minutes to eat before they are expected to be in class, causing them not to eat at all.  In the proposed remodel the kitchen and lunchroom would be a combined 5,495 square feet, nearly doubling in size.  This will allow all students faster access to getting their food and equal time to eat.  The remodel will also allow us to do some things differently with our lunch program to increase wellness through the promotion of locally grown foods and healthy eating. 

Our new commons area/lunchroom:

Q: What is being proposed for the industrial tech space?

A: Central’s current industrial tech space is 5200 square feet, which is adequate space for the size of our district.  The proposed remodel calls for replacing our outdated boiler systems with a more energy efficient system that will take less space.  Industrial tech will gain this space for an additional 673 square feet.  Central administration is working with CAT and Mobile Track Solutions (MTS) to better design our industrial tech space to meet the needs of our local employers.  This remodel will include new electrical, lighting, and equipment.

Q: Are the science classrooms being remodeled and why?
A: In the site review it was noted our science classrooms and lab space did not meet industry standards.  The science classrooms are also on a ramp and not as accessible as our other classrooms.  If the bond passes the entire science department would be remodeled to increase space and accessibility. 

Possible new science rooms:

Q: What is the period of time this would be paid off?

A: The maximum amount of time for the $2.70 bond is 20 years.  The Central School Board has the ability to use other funding streams to buy down the bond at a faster rate as well as lower the tax rate.

Q: What is the proposed construction timeline? 

A: Following the vote on June 30, the district would begin a three month Design Development Phase where stakeholders would have an opportunity to provide input on specific details of the facilities.  Construction documents would be provided to contractors that would result in the District scheduling a date to open bids.  If low bids were at the levels established for the project, groundbreaking would occur in the spring of 2016.  Construction is scheduled to take approximately 3 years to complete.