Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008

338 board sets $3.5 million bond election for May 6

by Clarke Davis

The Valley Falls school board took final action on a proposed bond issue Monday night.

The board unanimously passed a resolution to hold a May 6 election for a bond issue in the amount of $3.5 million.

The vote was 6-0 with board member Larry Martin absent.

Included in the construction plans is a 3,200-square-foot building to house industrial arts classes to be built directly to the south of the new addition. The board had discussed using capital outlay funds for this classroom.

The rest of the plans remain unchanged from what has been discussed for nearly two years.

Included are a gymnasium, locker room, fitness and weight room, two classrooms, a commons area for the high school, concessions, restrooms, storage space, and a small office.

The proposed addition will be built to the west of, and attach to, the present library. It will also attach to the high school and provide indoor passage from the two buildings.

Atchison architect Mark Lieb of M/C/Lieb Designs LLC and John Kearney, Valley Falls building contractor, discussed costs with the board before its vote.

Lieb said he and Kearney had looked at the cheapest types of construction and had estimates of $3.68 million for precast concrete and $3.4 million for steel.

Kearney said he preferred the precast for a number of reasons and was sure after running the numbers that final costs would come in under the $3.5 million.

“The figures are based on the worst case scenario,” Lieb said. “We believe this is the bottom line.”

They both thought the current bidding environment was a good one.

The state will pay for 45 percent of the bonds. The district’s financial adviser, PiperJaffray, ran a projection based on a 3 percent annual growth rate in district valuation showing an average tax levy of just over 7 mills for the 20-year life span of the bonds.