July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Board president reviews project (12/13/04)
Editor's Mailbag
By To the editor:-
As president of the Jay School Corporation Board of Trustees, I feel it is my duty to share the facts of the proposed bond issue for a renovation project at Jay County High School, due to the many versions of the facts that are circulating in the community.
The board of trustees met this past summer in a strategic planning session to look at the future of the corporation. The board felt that facilities were an immediate need and discussed how to address the capital needs of ten buildings with approximately $3 million annually from the Capital Projects Fund (CPF). The board decided to address these needs through a major project at the high school that would occur through a bond issue, and that the CPF would then be used annually to take care of the needs at the other buildings. The board devised a list of our perceived needs at the high school, and noted the necessities and desires on the list. The board then instructed Superintendent Barbara Downing to gather additional input on the potential project. Input was gathered from high school staff members as well as from committee and study group findings dating back to the 1990s. Also, additional input was gathered from 61 community members concerning facility needs at the high school at a public input meeting held Nov. 17.
The board discussed the potential project at the September and October board meetings, with Superintendent Downing reading a list of the perceived facility needs at the high school. The board instructed her to give the list to the school corporation’s architectural firm Barton Coe Vilamaa to determine costs associated with the items on the list.
Unfortunately, no one from the community attended these meetings and local media did not report the potential project.
At the Nov. 22 board meeting the board received the price tag of $26.6 million as well as a one-page footprint of the school building with areas of potential renovation or addition noted. The board discussed the timing of the project and voted to proceed by scheduling a 1028 Hearing at the Dec. 20 board meeting. The 1028 Hearing is used to discuss and hear support and objections regarding the potential project.
The board will then further discuss the potential project at its January board meeting and in February will hold a Preliminary Determination Hearing to determine the project’s scope and maximum amount of the bond issue.
During these approximately 60 days the public will have an opportunity to tour the high school and see the deteriorated conditions that board members have already seen.
As I stated before, there are both necessities and desires with this potential project. It is now the school board’s job to determine what must be done and what could be done and to determine the overall cost of a bond issue.
Please know that this school board is working diligently to do what is best and right for our community’s children as well as the taxpayers.
I urge you to attend the Dec. 20 meeting and let us know of your opinion, and to tour the building in January to see the needs.
You now have the facts.
Douglas L. Inman
President
Jay School Corporation
Board of Trustees[[In-content Ad]]
The board of trustees met this past summer in a strategic planning session to look at the future of the corporation. The board felt that facilities were an immediate need and discussed how to address the capital needs of ten buildings with approximately $3 million annually from the Capital Projects Fund (CPF). The board decided to address these needs through a major project at the high school that would occur through a bond issue, and that the CPF would then be used annually to take care of the needs at the other buildings. The board devised a list of our perceived needs at the high school, and noted the necessities and desires on the list. The board then instructed Superintendent Barbara Downing to gather additional input on the potential project. Input was gathered from high school staff members as well as from committee and study group findings dating back to the 1990s. Also, additional input was gathered from 61 community members concerning facility needs at the high school at a public input meeting held Nov. 17.
The board discussed the potential project at the September and October board meetings, with Superintendent Downing reading a list of the perceived facility needs at the high school. The board instructed her to give the list to the school corporation’s architectural firm Barton Coe Vilamaa to determine costs associated with the items on the list.
Unfortunately, no one from the community attended these meetings and local media did not report the potential project.
At the Nov. 22 board meeting the board received the price tag of $26.6 million as well as a one-page footprint of the school building with areas of potential renovation or addition noted. The board discussed the timing of the project and voted to proceed by scheduling a 1028 Hearing at the Dec. 20 board meeting. The 1028 Hearing is used to discuss and hear support and objections regarding the potential project.
The board will then further discuss the potential project at its January board meeting and in February will hold a Preliminary Determination Hearing to determine the project’s scope and maximum amount of the bond issue.
During these approximately 60 days the public will have an opportunity to tour the high school and see the deteriorated conditions that board members have already seen.
As I stated before, there are both necessities and desires with this potential project. It is now the school board’s job to determine what must be done and what could be done and to determine the overall cost of a bond issue.
Please know that this school board is working diligently to do what is best and right for our community’s children as well as the taxpayers.
I urge you to attend the Dec. 20 meeting and let us know of your opinion, and to tour the building in January to see the needs.
You now have the facts.
Douglas L. Inman
President
Jay School Corporation
Board of Trustees[[In-content Ad]]
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