Ell-Saline superintendent says voters acknowledge a need for improvements

Patrons face a taxing issue

By MICHAEL STRAND

Salina Journal

BROOKVILLE -- As he has explained the Ell-Saline School District's proposed bond issue to prospective voters at public meetings, Superintendent Jerry Minneman hasn't heard people question whether the improvements are needed.

But he does hear questions about the timing -- whether an economic contraction is a time to expand facilities and increase taxes.

"People have asked some good questions, but there doesn't seem to be any question of the need -- just the timing, with the economy and all," Minneman said.

On Tuesday, voters in the district will decide whether to approve two separate questions -- one for a $6.8 million bond issue to finance improvements at both Ell-Saline Elementary School and Ell-Saline Middle/High School, and a second for $385,000 in bonds to build a new district office in Brookville.

The new district office will be built only if voters approve both questions.

Discussion of the need to expand both schools goes back years, to before Minneman was superintendent. At least two committees made up of area residents have explored the district's needs and come up with very similar recommendations several years apart.

"When I came here, there was already a facilities committee in place, and it had already identified and presented the needs," Minneman said.

The expense was enough to keep the district from moving ahead at the time.

Just this past year, a second committee took another look at the schools "and their recommendation of needs was almost identical -- and without us sharing with them the list from the previous committee," Minneman said.

The proposal includes:

nBuilding seven new classrooms, a multipurpose room and new rest rooms at the elementary school; remodeling several other classrooms and the school office; and creating several smaller rooms for one-on-one and small group work.

nExpanding the elementary school parking lot by 20 spaces.

n Expanding the shop classroom at the middle/high school.

n Adding a weight room and boys' and girls' locker rooms.

nMoving and remodeling the school office to provide better supervision of the main entrance and additional space for counselors, nurses and other staff.

Not a new idea

Tom Omli served on the most recent task force, and he thinks the fact that different groups of people over a span of years have come to the same conclusion speaks volumes.

"I only got involved lately, but I know it's been discussed," Omli said. "This has had reasonable review over the past several years. People have come at it from different directions and gotten similar results."

Because of that process, Omli said, people seem to understand the need.

"The main questions are what's it going to cost, what are we going to get and is now a good time," Omli said. "Overwhelmingly, most people know there are needs that have been there for a long time."

And, Omli stressed, "It's not new rec equipment, a new gym -- this is educational stuff here."

What's the cost?

As for what it's going to cost, the bonds are expected to be paid off over 25 years, and the estimate is that the first question will add about 10.6 mills to property taxes -- or just under $122 a year on a $100,000 home. The new district office will add about 0.6 mills, or just under $7 a year on a $100,000 home.

Another big selling point for the bond issue, Minneman said, is that the state will pay 40 percent of the cost.

Also, Omli and Minneman both point out the district has just finished paying off its previous bonds, and the property tax rate needed to pay off the new bonds is lower.

"For my household, (the taxes) are going to be close to level -- it's in the realm of what's reasonable, what we're used to paying," Omli said.

They say those numbers are based on estimates of construction costs and interest rates that are several months old. Since the estimates were made, the slowing economy has reduced both interest rates and construction costs, Minneman said.

He notes that the Council Grove School District recently received bids on a construction project that were 20 percent below the architect's estimates.

The estimated property tax rates also are based on a 5.5 percent interest rate on the bonds, Minneman said, while some districts have recently sold bonds at less than 4.5 percent.

"We may have the opportunity to pay this off in well under 25 years," Minneman said.

The likelihood of both lower construction costs and lower interest rates makes now a good time to move ahead, Omli said.

"At the end of the day, if it's truly a need, and not just a want, now's the time to do it," Omli said.

n Reporter Mike Strand can be reached at 822-1418 or by e-mail at mstrand@salina.com.

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