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Poland Schools to host building tour on Thursday
POLAND
The school district will host building tours at Poland Middle School and McKinley Elementary at 7 p.m. today.
The tour – which begins at the connector between the two schools – will conclude with a question-and-answer session regarding the bond issue and tax levy the school district is asking voters to approve.
The tour, Superintendent David Janofa says, is a way to give the public a firsthand look at infrastructure issues school officials say could end up costing the district millions of dollars.
“Our hope is that folks will be able to see some of the concerns we have about our facilities,” Janofa said. He said the two buildings have problems with their heating and electrical systems, lighting and moisture in the foundation.
Funds from the bond issue the district is asking voters to approve would be used to build a new kindergarten through eighth-grade building, thereby eliminating the need to make repairs at the school buildings now in use for those grades.
The ballot measure in November will ask voters to authorize the school district to issue bonds – to be repaid over a maximum 34-year period – in the amount of $28.2 million, to levy a 4-mill property tax to pay for the bond and to levy an additional 0.5-mill property tax.
Funds from the 0.5-mill levy would be used to maintain the new facility.
The $28 million the district is trying to raise represents the local share of the project; state funds would cover 19 percent of the approximately $35 million cost.
District officials plan to host building tours at the other schools. The next tour will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at Union Elementary.