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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 2010)
Page 16 The INDEPENDENT, October 7, 2010 School bond projects explained by Dalan Lee If Banks School District vot- ers approve ballot Measure 34- 182 on November 2, the first priority will be to renovate the Junior High school to meet building safety and educational mandates. In a recent state re- quired seismic tolerance in- spection, certain classrooms at the Junior High building failed to pass, as a result they are now closed to students. The Junior High construction rec- ommendations adopted by the district include thirteen new general use classrooms, sci- ence classrooms, a stage, ded- icated computer room, new li- brary, another gymnasium, new locker rooms, additional rest- rooms and a collection of smaller renovations. After the Junior High is finished it will have enough space for the sixth grade students, which should alleviate overcrowding problems at the elementary school, which is slated to have emergency vehicle access if the Bond is passed. Some High School plans in- clude creating sixteen general use classrooms, a new staff room, library, cafeteria/com- mons room and special educa- tion rooms. All school buildings have some deteriorating mechanical issues such as heating, ventila- tion and electrical, which could prove costly and hazardous in the future. Also poor energy in- sulation throughout will be- come increasingly expensive See Projects on page 18 Bond measure set for school projects From page 13 outlined in the ballot measure. They may not be used for gen- eral operations, maintenance, salaries, etc. The repayment period for bond funds, 26 years in this case, doesn’t start when they are approved, but when they are sold. The projected cost to prop- erty-owners in the district was initially estimated at about $1.70 per $1,000 of assessed (not appraised value or market value) property value, or $170 per $100,000 of assessed property value. That amount was reduced when the district was approved for a “Qualified School Construction Bond”, part of the federal stimulus fund which will allow $15 million of the proposed bond to be repaid interest-free by providing pri- vate lenders with federal tax credits in lieu of interest. This will save district property tax- payers around $22 million dol- lars over the twenty-six year re- payment period, bringing the cost down to about $1.45 per $1,000 of assessed property value, or $145 per $100,000. There will be “stake-outs” held at the high school cafete- ria to inform voters on bond Measure 34-182 on Friday, Oc- tober 8, at 2:00, 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. and another on Wednes- day, October 13, at 7:00 p.m. Anyone wanting to know more about the proposed bond is en- couraged to stop by. Just for Fun Casey and Kyle by Will Robertson C r o s s w o rd Pu z z l e September 16 puzzle answer C o l o r t h e s e Fa l l l e a v e s Democracy… is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder. It dispenses a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike. PLATO Greek philosopher (428- 348 BC)