Facilities Improvement Planning
Rumors and Facts
At cross country and track meets I usually see a team or two sporting shirts with slogans on the back stating “Faster than small town rumors.” I never realized how fast those kids really are. Rumors do spread fast. The first rumor that I would like to put to rest is the the Colesburg Elementary building is going to be closed. This is not the case.
In April of 2016, the district began working with StruXture Architects from Waterloo to develop a long-range master facilities plan. Team members from StruXture Architects toured and examined the buildings for various elements of design, architecture, code compliance and accessibility. Consultants from KCL Engineering examined the building for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing adequacies. The facilities were evaluated based on prior and current building codes and the American with Disabilities Act.
A series of meetings were held with StruXture personnel, school staff, board members, and community members to discuss the facilities, space planning and utilization. StuXture used the community information coupled with their own knowledge and experience in order to determine and recommend facility considerations and generate cost estimates. The report is available at https://goo.gl/etnoYL. From those meetings, the following are proposed improvements:
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HVAC in both buildings
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Secure Entrances at both buildings
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Reroofing at both building
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Restroom update at both buildings
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Replace windows at both buildings
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Resurface gym floor at both buildings
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Parking Lot improvements at both locations
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Elementary playground improvements
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Accessible door hardware and other ADA compliant improvements at both buildings
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New Competition Gym located in Edgewood
As you can see there are improvements planned for both buildings in both communities.
Why does this project need to be done now?
The District issued $2,270,000 in voter approved General Obligation Bonds in 2003 for the purpose of funding additions to the existing district campus. Over the past three fiscal years – FY15, FY16 and FY17 – the school board has taken action annually as part of their budget process to surplus levy within the bond debt service fund additional amounts which have been used annually to pre-pay principal on those original bonds, reducing overall interest repayment costs to our taxpayers. Through that prudent process of the board, the total interest cost on that final payment due in FY2018 has been reduced by $20,475.
One could argue there is never a good time to increase taxes, so when is a good time to do a project like this? The longer we wait to address the needs of our buildings, the more the cost goes up. So while $11.2million is a lot of money, that number will be higher next year and even higher the year after. Meanwhile, the problems with our building are not going away and we simply cannot fix them without a bond.
How do we know Ed-Co won’t be closed in 20 years?
Rumors about school closing and mergers are also running rampant. Nobody can say for certainty how things will be 20 years into the future. We can only look at current factors and make the best decision possible based on the information we have now. Ed-Co’s current serves 513 students.
One thing we considered was West Central. Their current enrollment is 265 students. They just invested $7.9 million into an addition. Ed-Co serves just over 500 students. Aren’t our students worth the same investment. I also believe the bond can be paid off in less than 20 years.
Outstanding Levies within the Ed-Co School District
Facilities Planning Presentation
Discussion of School Infrastructure Financing Capacity
